Through the Fairy Door
by layne2
Summary: Sookie's new roomie; Claudine is promoted; barmaid/fairy princess visits fairy land; talking rats assist in jail break; Slim-fast; Eric carries a big sword; Preston Pardloe sniffs around; Niall blows the fairy door. All this, plus a pepperoni pizza.
1. Chapter 1

**Through the Fairy Door **

_**Summary:**__ Sookie gains a new roomie; Claudine is promoted; barmaid/fairy princess visits fairy land; talking rats assist in jail break; Slim-fast; Eric carries a big sword; Preston Pardoe sniffs around; Niall blows the fairy door. This little story comes with all of this, plus a pepperoni pizza. _

_**Disclaimer:**__ The lovely and talented Ms. Charlaine Harris owns all the characters in this story. Ms. Harris, please forgive me for this trespass. _

_**Time Frame**__: This story begins about one month after the first chapter of "Dead in the Family". _

_**Acknowledgements: **__Many thanks to Jodi aka Vamplover1 for all of her assistance. She was able to make sense out of this story, provided constructive criticism and a detailed clean up. I will never scoff at the pulp fiction again. _

_**Characters:**__ Sookie, Eric, Niall, Claude, Claudette, Dermot, Preston Pardoe and lots of new friends. _

_**Rating: **__PG13 _

_**Note: **__ This story was posted for two days as the "Last weekend in March". It has since been altered and beta'd and provided a new name to reflect the changes. _

**Prologue **

It was almost dawn in northern Louisiana, the sky was grey and the sun had yet to make its appearance on the horizon. It was hard to make out the dark outlines of two men standing at the edge of the woods. Their appearances differed in that one was tall with long black hair and the other was shorter, more compact with blond hair. But they were similar in that they were both the very essence of masculine good looks and arrogance because they were fairies.

The taller one looked down at his companion. "So you really think this will work?"

His companion nodded his blond head. "I know it will work. I have commitments from Breandan's former council and other high level officials who will support us. They have far more to gain and everything to lose if this fails. They are motivated."

Pointing towards the house the taller fairy asked, "What about the woman?"

"Why do you care?"

"I don't but my sister cared."

"So, what did she do for your sister?"

There was no answer. The taller figure finally said, "What about you? What will you get out of this?"

"I'm a simple fellow and my needs are simple; death and destruction, that is all I want."

The taller companion shook his head and said, "Uncle, you're one crazy bastard.

His companion looked up and gave him a wicked grin, "True, but isn't this what you want? You are much more adept prancing about, wagging your dick for humans and being a big queen rather than a little obedient prince. I don't see you becoming a public servant to a group of back stabbing fairies."

The taller fairy looked down at his companion and scowled. "You're one to talk. At least I do something with my life; your life is busy with sloth and procrastination. And I don't chase unwashed brownie whores."

"I like brownies. They come in lots of colors but they're all the same flavor -_nasty_. And they're easy and simple. See no evil, hear no evil and screw no evil."

They both chuckled over their traded insults and were pleased with themselves. Because for fairies plotting treachery and death in the morning is as good as it gets.

They turned and walked back into the trees, their images melted into the gloom.

In a nearby tree, a young black and white cat was watching the scene. He jumped down to the ground, glanced back into the gloom and trotted towards the house.

**Chapter 1**

I opened my eyes to the sun streaming through my windows, bathing my room in golden light. Laying there for a moment I listened to the comforting creaks and noises of the old home. My 170 year-old barometer was telling me that the weather would be extra warm today. I rolled over and stared at the ceiling; maybe I would do something productive. I could go to the store and buy paint for my bedroom ceiling and cover the water stain that I've looked at since moving into my Gran's bedroom. Or... maybe not.

As with all mornings, I awoke alone but felt quite content. I could still smell the dry fragrance of vampire along with the unmistakable scent that was Eric's. Though he had a state-of-the-art vampire hidey-hole installed under my house, he could not stay. He had left around midnight so he could get back to Shreveport to crank the money machine he calls Fangtasia. I was alone in my bed but did not feel lonely; since Amelia had left I had discovered that having privacy at night when Eric was here and feeling frisky, followed by peace and quiet in the morning, was okay. In fact, it was better than okay; it was great.

Grabbing my old bathrobe I padded barefoot into the kitchen. Today felt like a Café Royale day with a sprinkle of cinnamon. With a hot cup of flavored coffee steaming in my hands, I sat outside on the porch swing and rocked. The old farm house was correct; the day was indeed going to be unusually warm. It might even hit the 90's. It occurred to me that this might be a perfect day to pull out the Wal-Mart outdoor reclining chair, hose off the cob webs and set up for a new season of sun tanning. Yep, now that sounded like a plan.

I had been recovering well due to Eric's blood, my scars were fading, and I was rebuilding muscle tone thanks to regular work outs with J.D. Granted, I still glow at night like a Las Vegas casino sign, but no one seems to notice it but me. Not only was I healing physically but my mental state seemed stronger and more optimistic. Sleeping soundly was still thanks to the pharmaceutical industry of America, but I was definitely getting my mojo back.

I sat on my porch swing rocking back and forth, listening to the birds, content to let the world spin, when I heard what I thought was a baby cry. What on earth made that noise? Then I heard it again. It was coming from beneath my house. Walking around the house, I pulled the old lattice panel off that skirted the house. Pushing off my robe I poked my head under the house. My rear was still visible to anyone who might drive up. I muttered to myself, "Gran, please don't roll over in your grave. I haven't lost my mind, _yet!_"

I was under the 1930's addition to my pier and beam home. Jason and I used to play under here for hours when we were young. It still had that strong sweet smell of old decaying wood that I remember so well. The soil under the house was loaded with booby traps of old broken gardening pots, bits of junk and forgotten childhood treasures all just waiting to cut my knees. Carefully, I crawled along until I saw what was making the crying noise. Hunkered down next to a brick pier was a young cat. When he saw me, he flattened himself to the pier and looked at me with scared, big green eyes.

"Here kitty-kitty," I called, in a safe and harmless voice. He just stared at me, not budging.

I remembered what got my last cat Tina's complete attention, and hurriedly backed out from under the house. I returned, with a couple of slices of baloney. I pulled the edge off a slice and dangled it in the cat's direction, trying to prime the appetite pump. Then I tossed a piece close to the cat.

The cat crept to the baloney and gulped it down. He followed the dangling baloney out into the open. Once out, I realized that he was a black and white cat. He had a classic tuxedo pattern with white gloves and boots and a black goatee to complete his attire. He was dirty and skinny, but appeared unhurt. I kept feeding him bits of baloney, until we got to the front door. Carefully, I opened the door and without a pause, he just walked right in like he owned the place.

Kitty was now at my heels he was all purrs, charm and sweetness, begging for more food. A quick look to his back-side confirmed my suspicion; he's definitely a Mister Kitty. Smiling I thought, _human,_ _fur or fang, males they're all alike_. I put down the remaining baloney with a bowl of water and bent to stroke him while he ate. Gran used to say dogs belong outside but she always had a soft spot for cats. This new arrival would require a trip to the Wal-Mart pet center, followed by an appointment with the town vet.

Mister Kitty would need that important little surgery. I couldn't have a tom cat spraying my house, out cruising for love until one day a coyote found him. I thought of how the world might just be a better place if quite a few men also had that important little surgery. Junior's head jerked up, and he looked into my eyes with alarm and fear. A thought hit me. _Bob the cat__._

I felt a chill pass over me. This young cat looked at me with the same intelligence and understanding that Bob did. Could this be Bob's kitten? Is that even possible? Didn't Amelia mention seeing kittens? As I mulled over the mind-blowing concept, it occurred to me that I owed Amelia and Octavia a call. Until then, I would not let my crazy get away from me.

I leaned down to scratch his head and said, "Mister Kitty, you remind me of a special cat I once knew named Bob Jessop. How would-ya like the name, Robert Junior or maybe Junior for short?" He stopped his post-baloney washing and regarded me with that same knowing stare. I felt that unnerving tingle in my head. "Okay Junior," I quietly murmured. "I guess you're my new roomie."

The day was turning into a red letter day for me. It was the first time all year I had on my bikini, slathered in cocoa butter and spread out for maximum sun exposure on a freshly cleaned lawn chair. The swimsuit no longer fit me right, but I would think about the miserable task of trying on new swimsuits under pitiless fluorescent lights another day. This glorious day was turning into the warmest day of this year, and I was going to baste like a Butterball turkey.

The insects were buzzing and birds were singing like crazy, telling the world that it was spring in full throttle. My Ipod was pumping out my favorite singer, Robert Earl Keen, and the sun-induced endorphins were also pumping. I was happily dozing in my own personal la-la land.

The sun felt so good on my skin, I closed my eyes and relaxed. The music faded, the surrounding bird song softened and slowly changed. The songs became melodious and more complicated. A warm dry breeze seemed to lift me, and I noticed the humid sticky heat of Louisiana was gone. I opened my eyes and squinted at a blurry, filmy image of someone tall and slender standing before me. The image gelled but I could not tell if it was a man or a woman; it was androgynous, lovely and bright. I tried to blink and realized I could not, nor could I feel my body. Oops, that's the problem, I have no body. I was floating about five feet above the ground.

The lovely creature spoke to me, "Sookie, I am so glad to see you."

I looked around and realized my house was gone. We were surrounded by gardens; there were mountains in the distance with an intensely indigo blue sky overhead. That was interesting, because last time I checked there were no mountains in Louisiana and the sky was definitely not indigo.

"Claudine, is that you? Where are we?"

"We are in the Summerlands."

Hesitantly I asked, "Claudine, are we… dead?"

She gave me a dazzling smile, "Far from it, but I'm no longer part of the mortal plane. I brought you here so that I might show you there is no need to be sad over my passing. This is what I worked and dreamed of; I have evolved to be an angel."

Claudine had received the ultimate promotion, but I looked around and she seemed to be alone. "Claudine is your baby here? What about your sister?"

She smiled. "Those precious souls will be returned to the physical world to live and grow. They will have to earn their way to Summerland."

I thought about her sister and figured Claudine wouldn't be seeing her anytime soon. I wanted to say something compassionate and tender but all that came out was, "Okay, so... no free passes to Summerland."

She chuckled. "My sacrifice is what gained me the transformation that I had hoped and prayed for. Sookie, please tell my brother Claude. I can not reach him. He is too engulfed in his own self pity and anger to hear and see me."

I began to feel increasingly disoriented, my gentle floating changed into bobbing up and down, as though I was in choppy surf. I was losing it. I wanted to ask Claudine dozens of questions. Meaningful questions like, 'What's the meaning of life?' And other heady stuff that philosophical people with lots of education who stare at their navels would ask. But the only thing that came out was, "Ugh, I feel seasick. I'm going to puke."

Her face drew very close to mine, and she gave me her most radiant smile. "Sookie, thank you for the honor of letting me be your fairy godmother. You are very special and I love you."

She bent forward as though she was going to kiss me but I felt nothing. Rather, her smile brightened and dazzled me until I could see nothing but light. No toothpaste commercial had anything on her.

My vision blurred, and I squeezed my eyes shut trying to stop the disorientation. I could see nothing but red blazing veins through my eye lids. I opened my eyes and realized I was still in my lawn chair but was facing the sun. I must have fallen asleep. The birds were still singing like crazy and Robert Earl Keen was still crooning his latest release. I plopped my big sun hat on my head, took a big swig of sweet tea and said out loud, "Wow, that was one bee-zaar dream."

It was not like a normal dream or like one I have ever had before. I hadn't eaten any Mexican food lately so it wasn't a Chimichanga dream. My dreams were never in vivid Technicolor, or with that level of detail, and intensity. The creature looked like a de-sexed version of Claudine but even more beautiful and radiant. The more I thought about it, the more I felt certain that the experience really did happen.

I felt my face flush with embarrassment. Darn, I get an invite to visit Claudine and see the Summerlands, and I almost dream puke on her foot. I wonder if Summerland and heaven is the same place or do we have segregated after lives? Is this world another world's hell? As I mulled this over and lots of other deeply philosophical afterlife questions, a heaviness that I did not know existed lifted from my chest. Claudine had reached her goal: she was an angel. Under my breath I said, "Thank you, Claudine. I love you too."

Robert Earl Keen started singing my favorite song, and I joined him for an off-key verse of "The Road Goes on Forever and the Party Never Ends." As I belted out the second chorus it dawned on me that Mr. Keen was dead right. Maybe the road does go on forever.

Once Mr. Keen and I finished our duet, I performed the scientific poke test and decided I had enough sun. I pulled on one of Eric's baggy Fangtasia T-shirts and walked into the house to get more iced tea and a sandwich. Traveling to heaven to visit an angel and new found revelations of the afterlife made me hungry for a P, B & J.

I was digging the last bit of crunchy peanut butter out of the jar when something caught my eye outside the window. Niall and Claude were walking out of my woods. Astonished, I waved through the window and walked out into the backyard to greet them.

I thought that Niall was gone forever. He had told me that he was going to finish barricading the portal and then be gone. All the fairies who lived here would have to decide to stay or go home. I knew that Claude had stayed behind but thought Niall had left.

I tried to fix my hair but it was a lost cause, it was in a messy scraggly bun. I looked down at my Fangtasia t-shirt cover up and sighed. When people pop in they can't expect the red carpet treatment. I was just keeping it real.

I tried to greet Claude warmly but felt awkward. He coolly nodded his head and said nothing. He looked through me like I wasn't there; once a turnip, always a turnip. Niall gave me a warm hug.

"Sookie, it is so good to see you. You must be surprised at my return."

"Yes, I thought you had left for good. Did you change your mind about closing the door?"

"No, but after several discussions with advisors I thought it wise to do more than just barricade the portal. I have decided to take stronger measures so that it can never be reopened.

Junior slinked out from under the backdoor steps and looked up at Niall and then stared intently at Claude. Niall calmly looked at the cat. He nodded to Junior and said, "I see you have a new pet. He is a fascinating cat." Before I had a chance to ask him what he meant, he continued.

"Sookie, I have convinced Claude that it would be in his best interest to return with me to our world. He will assume the mantle of prince and will rule over the lands that were formerly in Breandan's possession. Claude has been formally designated as my heir apparent for the house of Brigant. He shall take his place as a ruling member of the family and also continue the family dynasty."

I looked into Claude's blank face and thought to myself, _Claude is a prince and he's to begat little Brigants? Ha! Good luck with that! _ I quickly looked down and bit the inside of my cheek to stifle a smile.

When I looked back up into Claude's beautiful face the misery in his eyes hit me. I felt bad about finding his future amusing. Claude did not want to return home where beautiful fairies are a dime a dozen. He wanted to be a star, to strip and bathe in the lust and adoration of millions. Having brats with females he could care less about was the last thing he desired. Long-shore men and bikers were more to his taste. This new future offered him nothing more than obligation and tedious responsibility.

Claudine's words came back to me and without thinking I reached up and hugged Claude's neck and said, "Claudine is trying to reach you. She wants you to know she's an angel and in Summerland." I released him and said to both fairies, "It was through her sacrifice that she obtained her goal. She doesn't want us to be sad about her passing. She can't reach you, Claude, when you are so full of, of….. bitterness." I decided at the last second that self pity may not be received well.

Claude stepped back and looked at me with wide eyes and surprise. I continued softy, "Claudine is happy, she wants you to be happy too. And, so do I."

Niall looked closely at Claude before speaking. "Of course she wishes her brother happiness, and she would also want the Brigant family dynasty to prosper and grow. That is your responsibility, Claude. You can fulfill both of those worthy goals in the Fae world. That is where we belong."

Claude looked at Niall and shook his head. He looked like he had something on the tip of his tongue but turned on his heel and began walking back to the woods alone. Niall stood staring at him walking away and spoke calmly and with a certainty that having his way for a thousand years had molded. "He will uphold his oath to his family. He will return to our realm and fulfill his destiny."

Niall's features softened and he turned towards me and said with sadness, "Sookie, the door between our worlds is scheduled to be closed in three days when the moon is at its fullest. I still have not discovered Dermot. It is with great regret that I leave him here, but I feel there will be no further motive for him to continue any aggression towards you. I will be gone completely from his life in three days' time.

I nodded my head, blinking back the tears. Niall would be gone from my life too. I stood on my tip toes to give my only great-grandfather a big hug.

He laughed. "Yes, yes, there, there now, child."

I tried to smile through my tears and to not completely lose it. I did not want him to remember me as a blubbering idiot with a drippy nose and hiccups.

"Niall, I meant what I said when I told you that Claudine is an angel and in Summerland. I've been there." As soon as I said the last part I regretted it and wished I could take it back. It made me sound like some sort of new-age ding-dong.

Niall looked at me with a kindly expression. He smiled and his fine thin skin creased with dozens of delicate lines around his eyes. "Yes, I know dear. I can feel it in my heart when I think of her. Claudine is an angel."

With that, he kissed me on the forehead, stepped back and straightened up to his full height, and with a regal air said my full name followed by Brigant. He stated that he was proud to claim me as a Brigant and his great-granddaughter. As his descendant I would receive all the honors, privileges and duties that this position bestowed. Standing there tall and proud he truly looked like a magical fairy prince. He was so beautiful and I was a messy, little ragamuffin next to him. After he kissed me on the cheek he wished me a happy, prosperous and long life. He turned and walked back to the edge of the woods where Claude was waiting for him. Together they disappeared from my view.

At that moment, Junior rubbed up against my legs and we both stared where the fairies had disappeared. Slowly I said, "Well, Junior ole-boy, that was interesting. He adopts me and then he dumps me." With a mock serious voice I said, "Robert Jessop Junior Brigant, I am proud to proclaim you as the Royal Brigant Cat. This momentous event calls for a Dr. Pepper along with our P,B & J. Dr. Pepper and peanut butter- the preferred food of all Brigant royalty!" I opened the door and said with a sweep of my hand, "After you, my regal consort."

11


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It was sunset when I stepped out of the shower, I heard a text message hit my phone. I figured it was my early riser, Eric. He liked to get an early start on his night. He was probably still in bed, in ground, in coffin or wherever he decided to conk out but had probably sent dozens of text messages already.

I have always known that he moves his resting place. When events are in turmoil, he moves even more. Since Breandan was killed, he moved frequently and kept his people on a heightened state of security. I guess it would be like a level orange terrorist alert, whatever that means. Eric has been additionally cautious, fearing that a few of Breandan's former followers or lovers may have chosen to stay here. The Fae are known for their long memories and love for vengeance. Once Eric discovers the door is still open he will be even more wary. Eric asked me to leave my home and join him in his paranoid lifestyle for a few weeks, but I've refused to budge. I didn't go through a witch war, a Fae war, a vampire coup, and numerous attacks by vampires and weres only to be chased off now. But just in case, I kept my iron trowel along with numerous other anti-fairy weapons close at hand.

Bill was out of town staying with a vampire sibling. One of Lorena's vampire "kids" was giving him regular transfusions in order to detoxify his blood of the last bit of silver. Last time Bill texted me he said he had turned the corner and was getting better, but patches of his skin had begun sloughing off and were re-growing. He was glad I wasn't there to see it. When I told Eric, he chuckled and said, "I bet his junk will slough off, too. The wanker will have to re-grow his wanker."

Who knew vampire Viking's were such a comedians? But I will never forget that it was Bill who elected to go with Niall and save me. True, it was Eric who pulled a great deal of the pain and suffering from me and pushed his life force into me so that I wouldn't die prior to being saved. None the less, Bill did not have to risk his undead existence for me.

I picked up my phone and read Eric's text message. "coy msg recvd ttyl" He got my message about Niall's recent visit and coy ttyl meant, "check on you; talk to you later," which is a polite way of saying that he was in a hurry and only had time to check out the grounds and house for signs of intruders and jump me for a quick boink-n-bite before he was out the door. Dang!

Feeling snippy, I thought about cancelling our date but changed my mind. Even Eric's version of a quickie is pretty darn memorable. With a big smile on my face I went into the kitchen to make dinner. Junior instantly joined me and stood on his hind feet, pawing at the refrigerator door.

"You little toot; you've eaten all the baloney. You need to eat your cat chow. I see cats on TV gulping that stuff down and loving it. They even dance the chow-chow-chow while eating it. There are starving people in India who would love to have that stuff. If you don't like it, you'll have to fend for yourself."

Junior sat down on the kitchen floor and gave me the most intense stare. I felt an unnerving tingling run up my spine and into my brain. I turned to open the refrigerator door when I got hit with this taste of something very nasty, fishy and despicable in my mouth. I rushed to the sink and wretched, spit and rinsed my mouth. The taste immediately vanished. Wiping my chin, I slowly turned and glared at the smug cat.

"What in Sam Hell; did _you_ do that?"

With a satisfied strut and his tail held high the cat walked out of the kitchen into the dining room and flopped down on Gran's favorite rug and began to lick his kitty privates.

Shock quickly turned to anger. "Well, maybe there aren't people in India who would love to eat that stuff, but I will not tolerate being controlled. If you do that again, you will be out the door. Got it?"

He just continued licking but I knew he understood. How did I know? I have no idea but I just knew. The little furry A. hole.

My telephone conversations with both Amelia and Octavia immediately following the nasty event were disappointing. Neither knew of any case where a hexed or spell bound person in an animal's body reproduced. Amelia had seen kittens, but she just used them as an excuse to get back into the dating scene. They would make inquiries but told me to not count on a fast answer. It wasn't like a topic you could do a Google search on. Also, Amelia couldn't ask Bob if he did the "dirty deed" with another cat because she wasn't sure where Bob was these days. Apparently, Bob did not wish to be Amelia's friend anymore. Gee, go figure.

After I stepped out of the shower, I pulled on my white delicate cotton night gown with matching robe, and cut the tags off. It had beautiful detailed lace and tiny pale pink bows, very pretty and sweet except for the fact the cotton was very gauzy and sheer. Pam had bought the lingerie for me at some hoity-toity store when I was recuperating. She said, "You don't have to hoochify yourself to be beautiful." After a day of sun bathing I was feeling more like my old self and very glowy, so "hoochy" was on my mind. While I was putting on a little bit of makeup, I felt a distinctive mental void outside the back door.

I could hear heavy footsteps walking briskly across the creaky hardwood floors, and Eric's large frame filled my bedroom doorway. To my surprise he was dressed in business casual rather than jeans. "Lover, you look lovely tonight, but I can not stay. I have several appointments, one with a prospective investor and another with the King of Florida's representative. I only came to check on you."

I slid off my bed and walked slowly towards him, letting my white lacy robe slide off my tan shoulders, revealing the delicate sheer nightgown. I gave him my sweetest, most innocent smile. His eyes widened and he gave me a smile but far from innocent. It's hard to look innocent when you smile with fangs.

"Lover, you are an exquisite vision in that gown, but I can not stay."

I put my arms around his neck and gently kissed him on the neck and nibbled his earlobe. He leaned down to me and inhaled deeply. His voice sounded strained when he whispered, "Your skin is so warm, you smell of the sun, and a slight scent of Fae is on you. You smell utterly alive… and intoxicating." He paused a moment and added quickly, "I can be late to my first appointment."

He began to kiss my neck and then the next 30 minutes were intense. Later, he grabbed his cell phone and called Pam. He instructed her to entertain the King of Florida's representative and give his regrets and reschedule all of his appointments for the evening. I could hear Pam laughing on the other end as she said, "Yes, Master. Give my fondest regards to our telepath."

Eric's encore was maddeningly slow and magnificent. I believe I had gotten my groove back. Afterwards, we lay in each other's arms, and I told him the events of my day. He said nothing about Junior's story and my suspicions about his origins. He just accepted it, like finding a cat that might be the progeny of a man trapped in a cat body was a normal event. He did not laugh or scoff at my magical mystery tour to Summerland to chat up Claudine. He sat up and looked at me when I told him about Claude and Niall.

I looked into his impassive face and his eyes looked far away while I was describing Niall's parting words. Once I finished, he calmly stated, "Sookie, a fairy prince can not create another prince; only a king or queen or the governance of his world can do that. I believe there are other events taking place in his world that we know nothing about. Niall has taken control and has been elevated to become the ultimate sovereign or king of his world."

He stroked my hair. "I have always suspected that the Fae war was over more than opening or closing the door to the human world. It was about power, and Niall has won and taken control. When he declared you to be his great granddaughter and gave you his last name, he did more than just honor you. He made a decree or edict. He placed you in his royal family lineage. I only hope he meant it as a compliment to flatter you and will not publicize this so called 'honor' to anyone in his world."

I smiled, sat up and grabbed by brush, and started trying to get the tangles from my hair. "Eric I have no magic and feel certain that Niall never intended for me to be the fairy princess." I had to giggle when I said fairy princess; it sounded so silly. I saw a mental image of myself in a pink tutu, with fake wings and a rhinestone tiara, flitting about Merlotte's, slinging beers and chicken baskets.

Junior poked his head up over the edge of the bed and looked into my smiling face. He jumped up on the end of the bed and gave a suspicious glance at Eric before grooming his face and paw.

Eric stared at the cat. "I do not know. Sookie, extraordinary events and the supernatural seem to gravitate to you. My life has been most interesting and seems to have sped up since I met you. Maybe you are some sort of magnet or catalyst for the supernatural." He paused and added with a big grin, "Or maybe you're just a sweet magnet for trouble and that's why I am stuck to you." With that he rolled over and placed his full body weight on me.

"Ugh! Eric, you weigh a ton and you're squishing me flatter than a pancake, or a tortilla!"

"All this talk of food, are you hungry little one? For I am." He growled out the last sentence in his smokiest voice.

Eric started giving me what he calls little "love bites" all over my body. He barely used his fangs so it tickled. I giggled and squealed when he hit sensitive spots. To retaliate, I goosed him hard and he jerked his head up and gave me a wicked smile, saying, "If you want me in that manner, I will expect my turn also."

I let out a yell and squeezed out from under him and got one foot on the floor. He snatched me back and was laughing and reached around me and gave me a goose. I let out a scream and Eric immediately let out a yell. A flash of black and white zipped across the bed. Eric began snarling in another language; when the little black attack came streaking back, Eric was ready. He whipped out his arm and grabbed the little furry assailant. Junior was dangling by the tail and in a flurry of hisses and growls wildly swiping at Eric's hand. Snarling, Eric said in a foreign accent, "What is this; a little feline assassin? I should break his little furry neck."

"Eric, please drop Junior!"

Eric dropped the cat unceremoniously, and Junior shot out of the room. I looked at Eric's back and the cat had done a fair job of scratching his back. The wounds were already sealing and would disappear in a minute. I got some cotton pads and hydrogen peroxide and sat behind him, cleaning his back.

Once I finished, I started rubbing his neck and shoulders. That seemed to relax him, and he rolled his head around while I kneaded the muscles at the base of his neck. "Sookie, in all my years, I have been attacked by all manner of creatures, but never a house cat, an unprovoked house cat at that. He will be trouble."

I stopped massaging his neck and leaned over his shoulders and wrapped my arms around him. "Eric you are suspicious of everything. Besides, alpha males never like each other, no matter what the species. With a chuckle I added, "Niall saw him and didn't seem to think Junior was anything to be alarmed about."

Eric chuckled." Who knows or understands what is going on in Niall's mind or any fairy's mind for that matter? He would probably act the same way if a raging transvestite satyr showed up at your door." He paused and continued, "And that reminds me, if Claude or any fairy shows up at your door in the next few days, do not let them in; get your shotgun and do not be shy about using it."

With frustration in his voice he added, "I wish you would consider staying with me, at least until the door is finally closed. I know I can keep you safer with me, rather than staying out here in the country, living alone."

I kept rubbing his neck while considering it. It would only be for three days, but I had promised Sam I would work the day shift. He has been understaffed lately since former best friend forever, Arlene, was thrown in the slammer for trying to kill me. I said hesitantly, "I don't know, Eric. Niall said everything is okay."

Eric just shook his head. "Sookie, you really don't get it. Did Niall keep you safe? Did he keep Fintan safe? I will happily send a waitress to Merlotte's to work if you would just listen to me this one time."

Eric sure knows how to cut through the B.S. I remembered what Diana said about how Fintan died. My sexy and fun mood disappeared. At one time Eric's comments would not have been able to budge me but that was prior to being tortured. "Okay Eric, you're right; I will join you. All I need to do is to drop off Junior at the vet when he opens tomorrow, then I will immediately drive over to Shreveport and stay with you at your place. The vet can keep Junior till I get back. And that way I will have my car with me in Shreveport."

Eric pulled me around to face him and kissed me lightly. With a smile he stated, "Your royal majesty, there is hope for you yet. Sookie Stackhouse Brigant, you are my favorite fairy princess." My immediate response was to try to suffocate Eric with my pillow but my thinking was flawed-- vampires don't need to breathe and all it did was arouse him. On second thought, maybe it wasn't flawed thinking after all.

The following day I was up early and ready to go. I had checked in with Sam the previous night and it turned out he did not need a waitress from Eric. Amazingly, Sam had a new experienced waitress who just walked in off the street looking for work. Yea, sure. I suspected the excuse was big ole fib and figured he wanted to limit his dealings with Eric, but I decided to not question it. Once that was taken care of all I had left was the trip to the vet. Tina's old cat carrier was out of the attic and ready for its new passenger but no Junior. I walked around the house and checked out possible hiding places but no cat.

I was about to give up and call the vet to cancel the appointment when I noticed the broken lattice panel that skirted my house. I pulled the loose panel off and called to him. I distinctly heard something moving under the house. Cussing up a storm and swearing to fix that panel, I stomped back into the house and changed into my old Jeans, t-shirt and tennis shoes. I was not trashing my newest pair of jeans by getting under the house. Besides, low cut jeans are hard to crawl around in without impersonating a plumber by having my butt crack hang out.

I crawled under the house and saw Junior up against the concrete shelter that Eric had installed under my house. While Bill constructed a little wood hidey hole that he meticulously built for himself, Eric had something that looked like a bomb shelter installed.

Once the vampires came out, companies that were building tornado shelters quickly jumped on the vampire band wagon or hearse. They altered and jazzed up their smallest tornado shelters, spray painted them black and called them Vampire Security Systems. When I was half asleep Eric had gotten me to agree to it. I was surprised when the concrete monster showed up the very next day along with a crane, backhoe, tractor and lots of men. The following day I was ready for a category 5 tornado, World War III or hosting a vampire sheriff for the day. I think that hidey hole exemplifies the differences in style between Eric and Bill.

I was creeping around the concrete and steel behemoth under my house when I heard footsteps on my porch up above me, followed by knocking on the front door. That was strange; no car had driven up to the house and I did not hear anyone arrive. I quickly turned to crawl out from under the house when Junior ran in front of me and blocked me. His eyes were huge and he had a panicked look on his face. I stopped and felt ice cold terror shooting across my system. It was cool under the house but I began to immediately sweat. I looked into Junior's face and realized something bad was going to happen.

I crawled to the edge of the house and listened carefully. Claude called my name several times. Junior crouched next to me, his ears twitching to pick up any sound. Claude was speaking to someone and they were talking about me. The two walked off the porch and walked around the house calling my name.

I could hear the back door open. I realized that the wards Amelia put on the house to protect me would accept Claude as a friend. Claude was walking around in the house and calling my name while his companion stayed outside I knew that there was no good reason for Claude to be in my house uninvited. I even heard him knocking on Eric's safe room door located in the hallway. He didn't have the pass codes to open the door and he didn't try to magic the door. Claude rejoined his companion outside the house and walked over to the front porch. I could hear them talking but couldn't understand what they were saying.

They walked away from my house and toward the woods. I saw the back of Claude and Jason, or what looked like Jason walking away. A cold knot formed in the pit of my stomach. What on earth was Claude doing with Dermot?

Once they were gone I crawled to the edge of the house to leave, but Junior was in my way; he clearly did not want me to go. I looked into the woods and couldn't see a thing. I reached out and could not feel any minds. I had to get my cell phone to call Niall and get the hell out of here. I whispered to Junior, "You'll be okay. Stay hidden and I'll return to get you later."

I crawled out from under the house and sprinted around to the back door and ran inside. Once inside I snatched my cell phone and immediately pressed Niall's number. I got a recording that the number had been disconnected. I stood at the back door looking out and started to feel increasingly stupid; everything looked peaceful and quiet. I considered going into Eric's day shelter and locking the door until Eric woke up and could come get me. The shelter was not really intended for breathers and the thought of sitting in that stuffy shelter all day did not appeal to me. I could just hear Eric smugly telling me, "I told you so." I grabbed my stuff, locked the back door and made a bee line to my car.

I must have gotten hit with a magical whammy or the equivalent because one moment I was sitting in my car frantically trying to get the keys in the ignition, and the next moment I felt like I was falling. I remember thinking before I blacked out, "_Not again! _ _As God as my witness; I am going to get a garage attached to my house!_ "

.

9


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I opened my eyes, and tried to focus. I was lying down, and looking across the ground at Jason. Only this Jason had old eyes with creases around them, as though he had seen too many bad things in his life. He wore black leather knee pants and high boots, with a dark blue tunic. Jason was not a knickers and tunic kind of dude; this was Dermot.

My hands and feet were tied, and I was lying on a grass mat. Immediately, I noticed that I was in a strange shelter. It was a grass hut with dirt floors, the walls were made of thick bundles of grass intricately woven together. There were window openings, but they appeared to have oiled skins covering them rather than glass. Designs and patterns were woven into the grass walls of the hut. The weavings reminded me of a giant fancy Easter basket rather than a primitive hut. Only the door appeared to be crudely made and constructed of wood.

Dermot was sitting on another mat across from me, peeling a little green apple with a large knife. He put a sliver of apple into his mouth and regarded me with a critical gaze. When he spoke all illusions of Jason disappeared. He had an elegant voice of an upper crust person who was well-educated and lived far, far away from Bon Temps, Louisiana.

"I am amazed at how much you resemble my mother during her youth. You are taller with larger bosoms, but the resemblance is uncanny. It is most disconcerting, yet, it is oddly… appealing. That must be why Niall has such an irrational fondness for you. Has he tried to court you or charm you into becoming his lover?"

I shook my head in a vigorous no. Screwing around with my great-grandfather did not fit into my world view of grandfathers. Not even a strange and ancient Fae grandfather. Dermot smiled broadly at my reaction. "Royalty breeding with their prodigy must be a Fae concept." I decided to not disagree with that statement or tell him human royalty are known for inbreeding.

My head was light and woozy, and my mouth was dry, but I wasn't gagged so I asked him the most obvious questions: "Where am I? Why did you bring me here?"

He continued to eat his apple while smirking at me. "You are in the Fae world, in the wastelands, which now belongs to the new Prince, Claude Brigant. I brought you here because you are to be princess of these lands and to rule over all the High Fae in this region." With that he spread his arms out as if to encompass all subjects and grandeur of the grass hut. Clearly, sarcasm must run in my family.

I couldn't read his mind; he was a blank to me. But I could read his arrogant, smug attitude, and it pissed me off. But I thought it best to stifle my righteous anger for another time. He appeared to be skillful using that big knife on that little apple.

Instead, I rasped out a question. "Of all the human and Fae women available, why would Claude want me to be his wife and princess?"

He chuckled and said, "You will not be his wife or his princess; you will be the _only_ royalty governing this land. You and Claude are Niall's only recognized descendants. Claude will be back in the human world enjoying his life. While you, as Niall's heir, shall rule over the land. That is, if you survive your introductions to the other High Fae and your coronation." He ended that statement with a big toothy grin. Obviously, my death was a guaranteed conclusion.

I decided to just keep quiet. I refused to play along and let him screw around with my head. I looked down at my watch, and the hands were spinning backwards. Yep, I've fallen down the rabbit hole. He saw me looking at my watch and added in a superior voice, "Machines of your would can not work here. This world functions on magic." Okay, I'm not in Louisiana any more, I got that. Nothing seemed like Louisiana; the air felt different and even smelled strangely sweet.

When he realized this comment would provoke no response, he continued. "You see, my dear great-niece, after many years of plotting, treachery, and warfare, Niall has finally defeated those who oppose him. He has stolen the reins of leadership and crowned himself Claude is the heir apparent of the Brigant dynasty and has been crowned prince. But there are still many in this world who despise him, and would turn on him in a heartbeat given the least opportunity. "

I said nothing; he didn't need me to encourage him, he was on a roll. "Omitting me, Niall has proclaimed you to be a legal descendant. Although he only did this as an honor, the gesture was never intended to bear fruit. This title only has significance if you are part of this world, and now, you _are_ part of this world. Claude has also set up his lineage to pass to you in case he can not serve. Of course, Claude does not intend to serve as prince for he will be back in the human world displaying his royal jewels for all humanity to delight in."

I had to bite my lip to stay mute, this man was clearly off of his rocker. "Your human presence as part of the Brigant Royal Dynasty will upset Niall's shaky and untested alliances. It will cause a breakdown of civility among the other royal Fae who believe they are as entitled to the crown as much as he. At which time, another member of Brigant's family, who shall go unnamed, will rise up and strike down Niall once and for all!" He ended his narrative by throwing up his hands in a dramatic gesture followed by, "And we will all live happily ever after. Or, I will live happily ever after, and you and Niall can play cards with Claudine in Summerland!"

Okay, I might be confused, but he was nucking futs. I did understand the end result of this political maneuver, which had the same ending as the first time I was abducted. Niall was to be destroyed, and due to my association with him, I would get caught up in the killing backwash and die. I was starting to see a pattern here. It would seem with the Fae everything ends up with murder. No getting your membership cancelled, or paying a penalty, or being run out of town. Nope, it's murder or nothing; not a very imaginative group.

Dermot leaned back against the wall, and returned to slicing and eating his apple. I closed my eyes, thought about this mess, and was utterly depressed. Right when I thought I might be happy again, I ended up back in the hands of the Fae. I felt the tears rolling down my face, and I hated myself for it. I didn't want this crazy jerk to see me cry, but the more I tried to stop crying the more the tears flowed. I heard the mat rustling and the door closing as Dermot got up and left the hut. He tied the door closed from the outside. I guess my silent water works was not much entertainment for him.

I stopped sniffling and examined the leather restraints around my wrists. I started chewing and pulling on them with my teeth, trying to stretch them apart. Instead of loosening they felt as though they were tightening. I was also becoming dizzy and sleepy. Clearly, the bindings were drugged or enchanted. I stopped before my hands lost their circulation. I rolled over on my back, closed my eyes, and blacked out. When I opened my eyes I felt disoriented, I didn't know how long I'd been asleep. Dermot was sitting in front of me and was eating a large slice of hot bread smeared with butter and drinking something from a crude- looking mug. The smell of hot bread made my mouth water.

He noticed me opening my eyes and said, "The more you pull on the bindings, the more you will sleep." He finished his bread, and took a big swig from his mug, wiped his mouth off on his sleeve, stood and walked over to me.

I feared him, but I refused to show it. He looked down at me. "There are enchantments on this hovel and the surrounding lands, you can not escape. If you test your restraints you will fall asleep; the more you try to defeat them the longer and deeper you will sleep. If you attempt to leave you will go mad with terror. There is a point of no return, and you can forever sleep or lose your mind to horror."

I looked at him and simply said, "Where would I escape to? I don't have a clue where I am."

He gave me a rueful smile and sipped from his mug. "That is true, but we Brigants are known for enjoying a challenge. Though you are much diluted, you have the essential spark. I heard you survived Naeave and her brother's special treatment for several hours."

I was silent and closed my eyes. I could feel his eyes upon me. In a low voice he said, "Your resemblance is remarkable." With that, he pulled out his knife and bent down. I held my breath and waited for the strike. He inserted the knife between my hands and cut the straps, then cut my leg restraints. I rubbed my wrists trying to get the circulation going again. He pulled bread out of a leather pouch and handed it to me. He also gave me his mug, which to my surprise was full of a sweet thick beer. I drank and ate quickly. I didn't realize how hungry and thirsty I had been. He walked to the door and said, "The pot in the corner is for your human functions. I will be just outside."

With my mouth stuffed full of bread I asked my captor, "How long do I have to stay here?"

He opened the door and turned around to look at me. "We will leave here and go to claim your throne once the portal is closed, your royal majesty. The last comment was definitely snide.

That did not help a lot since I had no way of knowing how long I had been here, or whether time ran at the same rate as at home. Once Dermot was gone, I got up and stretched my limbs. My back was stiff and sore from lack of movement. I wandered over to the pot and realized that it was a toilet. There was a stack of moss sheets near it and figured out this was Fae toilet paper. _Well fine, _I thought,_ no need getting a bladder infection due to modesty._ I dropped my jeans and squatted and did my "human business" and when I straightened up, my business was gone and so was the smell. Interesting, this must be Fae plumbing. I wondered where it went; is there a magic waste treatment plant somewhere?

I tried the door; sure enough, my head started feeling loopy and sleepy. Kicking the door proved to be no better. Staggering, I finally had to lie down on the mat, away from the door and walls. My head was foggy and heavy.

I don't know how long I spent there; I watched the light that crept in from the window skins start to fade. If I kept trying to escape I would end up being a Rip Van Winkle with boobs. My eyes closed for just a moment; when I opened them again the hut was dark, and I could see moonlight through a crack between the skins and the window opening. I began to hear the noises of scurrying little creatures.

Gran did not raise me to be a silly girly-girl, who squealed at a mouse, or freaked out if a bug climbed on me. But not knowing what kind of creatures I was listening to made me anxious. Something small and furry walked on my leg, but I instantly knocked it off. I sat up and stared hard to see what was digging under the rush mat. It was moving towards me. I slapped my hands down on it and heard a tiny high voice yell, "Arg! The Fae has me!"

Scuttling and noises erupted from all over the hut. Something stabbed me in the hand. I let out a yell, and released my quarry from under the mat. I swatted at something small that stuck me in my leg. I drew my legs up to me and wrapped my arms around them. Dark images of little scuttling creatures were massing in front of me. I reached out to them mentally but could not read them; they were just tiny buzzes of brain activity, unlike anything I had ever encountered. As much as I hated to yell for Dermot it might be time to let him know we had company. "Dermot, can you hear me? There are talking rats in the hut! I think you need to delouse the house! Dermot?" There was no response.

My yelling only got the little creatures snarling and squeaking. A small glowing light emerged from one of the creatures and it provided a dim shadowy light to reveal tiny images. They were scuttling about, spilling over each other and running in and out of a small hole in the ground. To my shock, they were not rats at all. Rather, they were tiny creatures who walked on two legs with arms and hands. They had broad humanoid features and large ears. One of them could easily sit inside my morning coffee mug. I gasped and realized they were not squeaking but talking to each other.

They were dressed in grass skirts, with different colors of mosses and small leaves as clothing. It was difficult to tell what was vegetation and what was body hair. They were menacing to me and to each other, with tiny wooden spears and shields. The creatures were bumping, hitting, and slapping each other. They were like tiny versions of the Three Stooges, only in bad hula skirts.

Several little fellows fell down on all fours, and their companions climbed on top of them to make a pyramid in front of me. I could see their little shiny butts sticking out of their grass skirts. The tallest little person with the glowing stick and the elaborate grass headdress walked up the grass butts pyramid to the top and addressed me in his high squeaky voice, "What manner of creature are you? You look like the race of High Fae but have the smell of death about you and your magic has no smell at all."

My jaw hit the floor, as I stared wide eyed at the creature. Touching the door must be like doing drugs, and I must've grabbed the door longer than I thought. I continued to stare at the creature while the rabble behind him finally settled down; all the little eyes stared up at me, waiting for my response. Another little fellow who appeared to be about as wide as tall spoke up. "Well, speak up female. What be ya?"

In my excitement, I blurted out very loudly, "I am Sookie! I'm… I'm human, what in heck are you?" My outburst was louder than expected. It caused the pyramid to collapse, taking the leader down with them and bowling over several companions beside them. They all scrambled about, kicking each other, and readied their weapons while glaring at me.

The larger one with the headdress marched up to the tip of my shoes and said boldly, "We are what the Fae call woodland pixies, though we consider the term a smear against our proud heritage. We call ourselves, The True People of the Trees, not to be confused with those filthy sprites. Curse them!" He spat on the ground and his troop quickly followed suit. "I am Tall Oak, Chief of the Ironwood Clan. Now, tell me Suckie, why do you smell of death though you live, and why can I not smell your magic?"

Geez, pixies demanding a politically correct title? Now I have heard it all. I thought pixies were supposed to be cute, sparkle and fly around. These fellows were far from cute and blended into the ground and leaves when not running around. The pixies must have smelled Eric on me, so I responded by explaining. "My name is pronounced Sookie, and what you probably smell on me is Eric. He's my boyfriend and a vampire. I don't have any magic."

This caused quite a stir amongst the group; I could hear mutterings of "treacherous vampires," "liar," and "child eating Fae." The chief stared at me and said skeptically, "Female, all creatures that have a heartbeat have magic. How can you have no magic?"

"I'm _hu-man_. Get it? I don't come from around here. Back home few humans have magic." I looked the chief in the eye. "Would I be staying here locked in a grass hut if I had magic? Would I be here if I was a High Fae?" That seemed to be a good argument. They nodded amongst themselves and murmured agreements. A grass hut was definitely not a four star hotel, no matter where you were.

The chief looked around the hut. "Why don't you leave?" I had to explain that I was abducted by a Fae who brought me here, and that the doors and grounds were magicked. I would fall over and sleep like Dorothy in a field of poppies if I tried to leave. The Wizard of Oz reference blew over their heads, but the chief got the gist of the statement.

He nodded his head and leaned on his spear. "We are a conquered people, too. We have been run out of our beloved wooded lands and reduced to living in this forsaken wasteland. The filthy sprites, brownies and other cursed creatures of greater magic oppress and kill us. We are small people with small magic; I know your sorrow to be defeated by evil."

Once we found common ground, they seemed more relaxed around me. They no longer feared that I would zap them into oblivion, and I no longer feared they were rats trying to nest in my hair or poke me with toothpick-size spears.

Throughout this conversation, I never heard a peep from Dermot. I kept looking at the door, but he never walked in. I told the little people about Dermot and his intent to kill me. The pixies responded by snarling, cursing, and spitting. Tall Oak sent some of his men out to scout for the fairy, but they came back reporting that there were none close by. Apparently, the High Fae were hated and feared, but the pixies were so low on the magic totem pole that their only defense was to run and hide.

The chief wanted to know about "huge-mans" and what kind of world I lived in. The idea of traveling through a portal to another world did not faze them; they knew of several such doors. The frightening stories of what lay behind these doors and who came out of them made the pixies give them a wide berth. A world with limited magic amazed and excited them. They especially wanted to know about my home and the wooded land. They quizzed me intensively about the type of trees that grew there, the size of the forested area, sources of water, and the creatures who lived in the woods. I did my best, but I am by no means an earth mama. I grew tired and discouraged discussing my home. I told them that it didn't matter how large the trees could grown or how many squirrels were there because the portal was going to be closing very soon, and there would be no way for me to go home once it did so.

The group huddled, whispering and fussing amongst each other. Some would lift their heads and scowl at me, and others would point to me and snarl responses. From the bits I could gather, there were some within the group who thought I was working in cahoots with their enemies, while others believed me and wanted to help me. Once I understood what the debate was about I had to pipe up and make an offer they couldn't refuse, "Hey y'all, if you can get me out of here and back to my home, y'all can live at my place."

That did it; the tiny chief, Tall Oak, turned towards me and yelled, "It shall be!" and stomped his foot and spit on the ground. I did not dare stomp my foot around these little dudes, but I quickly spat on the ground too. I figured when in pixie land, do as the pixies do.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

By standing on their companions' shoulders, the agile pixies created living ladders on both sides of the fastened door. They worked fast, sawing away at the bindings that secured the door. Apparently, the snooze magic was designed just for me, for they were immune to its effects. After minor squabbling, they managed to open the door. Dermot's warning came back to me about testing the magic too many times. Hesitantly, I stepped outside the door. I didn't keel over and start snoring. Instead, I felt dread and fear in the pit of my stomach. When I stepped back into the hut, the panic vanished.

Gathering my courage, I took a big breath of air, and strode boldly into the night. Nausea hit me, and my mind spun; I was terrified. I stumbled back into the hut, plopped down, and hung my head between my knees, trying to catch my breath.

The little people chattered at me. I could barely understand them when they were excited. Finally, I got their message_: just ignore the fear and keep walking_. I shook my head; I couldn't do it. They chided and ridiculed me. I tried to explain the adverse physical effects of excessive adrenaline and fear on the nervous system, but they just stared blankly at me for a second and then mimicked me. I ignored their teasing until one young male with flaming orange hair wagged his butt at me. "How rude! What would your _mama _say? A pixie woman with orange hair stepped out of the group and wagged her butt at me, too. Side-splitting laugher was my answer.

"Don't y'all get it? I'm terrified. Even if I do continue walking, I'll wander aimlessly around until I fall and break my neck."

A tiny female (I think) who appeared to be wearing a weed on top of her head patted my foot to comfort me. She squeaked something about women being weak. That pissed me off. I didn't survive torture only to become a cowering weak woman. I would give it another try. After arguing and a little bit of shoving, the pixies decided that a scouting party would go on ahead to the portal, to see if the path and the door were unguarded. That would give them time to gather their possessions and families. We would leave together.

Pixies tore apart the woven mats and wove the grasses into braided ropes. A pixie who was as wide as tall approached me and introduced himself as Grinslade. "Suckie huge man, we have decided to carry you to the portal." They informed me that they were going to truss my hands and feet together, and carry me like pig with an apple in my mouth. "No!" I exclaimed, "I never agreed to that."

Grinslade pushed his straw hat back on his tiny head and spoke deliberately, "If you do not go, you will die. If you can not conquer the magic, you will go mad. You may turn on us and crush us to blood and bone. Know this-- I will not allow you to harm my clan. We will kill you if need be."

That got my attention in a big way. I looked into his stern face. "I won't give up and die. I will walk out of here on my own two feet, and I will _not_ go insane and hurt you."

As a compromise, I allowed them to fasten numerous ropes or leashes to my belt. They would "guide" me if I became disoriented or freeze-up. I figured the ropes would allow the pixies to tie me up and gave them some assurances. Once they finished converting the mats into ropes and knotting them to my belt, I had my own weird version of a grass skirt. Only the ends of my skirt were being held by dozens of pixies. I looked like some sort of weird human May pole.

The scouting party came back, reporting that the path was clear and the door was unguarded. I wondered what the heck happened to Dermot? Why would Niall leave the door unguarded?

All the pixies gathered with their meager possessions and children piled on tiny hand-pulled carts. One proud mama showed me her new twin infants. I smiled brightly at her, trying to hide my shock. Her babies looked more like fuzzy caterpillars than children. I decided it would be discourteous of me to ask her why her children were covered in green fuzz with antennae.

Holding my breath, I took a big step out of the door way and was hit upside the head with terror. I stopped for a moment to catch my breath. All the pixies' eyes were on me; they quickly started pulling me. Stumbling forward I gasped; I had to go back into the hut. But the pixies yanked my leash hard, like I was a bad dog sniffing the crotch of the next door neighbor. Walking forward, I began to sweat and pant. Adrenaline was making my heart pound wildly, and my breathing was ragged. I looked back at the hut, longing to go back but was driven forward.

My stomach was queasy, and I was going to throw up. Little moaning sounds started coming out of my throat, and my vision blurred. I thought I was going to black out when a very loud and embarrassing human sound emitted from behind me. The surprise that I passed gas like a fog horn shocked me back to my wits. I gasped and felt myself flush red with embarrassment. The chief gave a whooping laugh and bellowed, "Ironwoodians pull! Pull the Suckie huge man! Pull-er til her britches explode!" The pixies laughed so hard that some fell down on the ground. The hilarity was followed by a stream of rude noises directed at me.

Tears were flowing down my face, as I stumbled forward. I could hear my crying voice sounding pathetic and whiny. I _hated_ it! "Oh, my goodness. Excuse me! Uh.. guys, my, my, my name is _Sookie-like-COOKIE,_ not Suckie."

That sent up a chorus of hoots and hollers. The fat pixie, Grinslade, just chuckled and yelled, "Pull True People, pull Suckie-like-Cockie. _Pull!_"

It appeared we were walking along a narrow path through the marsh grass, which was good, because I was in no condition to bush-whack through tall grass. I tripped and fell to my knees, then turned to look back. The pixies were immediately on me, stabbing me in the rear and legs with their tiny spears. Grinslade crawled up my sleeve and snarled in my ear. "_Get up_ human, move your ass, or be eaten like a cow by the filthy Fae. You will _die_ and be swallowed up in this forsaken wasteland if you do not get up and flee. And we will be slaughtered for helping you!"

That instantly got me up and going. They were risking their lives to help me. I focused my fear on the thought that if I did not get away, we would all die. I remembered Thing One and Thing Two with blood running down their chins as they ate my flesh. My tempo picked up, and I dragged a group of pixies who were surprised by my new speed. I accidently kicked a couple, and they went flying into their companions.

I walked quickly, scrambling up a low hill, and headed towards what looked like a thicket off in the distance. The sky was getting lighter, but the world looked gray and was ominously quiet. Death was just behind us.

My tears got my nose dripping terribly, and I had no tissues. One of the smaller pixies yelled, "You might think it's raining, but it-SNOT!" They laughed like that was the wittiest joke they had ever heard. That really got my tears flowing, and my nose poured.

I jogged slowly until I got a stitch in my side. I was slowing down to a walk when I felt Chief Tall Oak climbing up my jeans. Annoyed, I tried to brush him off, but he swung up onto my shoulder. He sat on my shoulder and waved to his clan. They cheered him and waved back, like he was the grand marshal on a parade float. In a patronizing voice he said, "Not to worry, Suckie. I'm here to speed you."

My mind became numb as I alternated between walking and jogging. At one point, I distinctly smelled smoke. Something was on fire. I feared the brown grasses around us were burning. Tall Wood repeatedly said, "Hurry! Flee or burn to death." The miles began to fly by.

As time passed, the threats and twisted acts of torture which Tall Oak whispered in my ear didn't seem so horrific to me any longer. I was unfeeling and detached from the terror; my adrenaline supply had run out. I still knew that death lay just behind me, but I could not dig up a response.

There were squeals from pixies I left rolling in the dirt. I was jogging again and knew I could do it. The fear was still there, but I could breathe, and I could beat it. Tall Oak, who was still riding on my shoulder, looked behind us and grabbed on to my shoulder bra strap. "Whoa! Suckie, Whoooaaa big girl!" he yelled. I slowed down and let the gang of pixies catch up to me. I hung my head down to breathe and gasped, "I'm _not _a horse!"

"Of course, you are not a horse. We would be there by now if you were." He nudged me with his tiny heels. "Giddy-up!"

We were on the edge of brush land, and I had to move slower to avoid the branches that grabbed at my clothes. We walked on for another two hours before I realized that the irrational fear had seeped away. I must have walked past the range of the magic. It was replaced with exhaustion; there is always a price to pay for the use of adrenaline. I was dirty, sweaty and dog-tired, but I did it. _We_ did it.

We left the path and walked down a slope to some springs, which created a pond and the head of a small stream. Tall Oak gave the command that we stop and rest. I was so glad to stop. I drank deeply and took off my shoes, lowering my hot sore feet into the stream. As I sat there, I took in my surroundings for the first time. I watched the pixie families interact with each other. While the parents drank and rested, the children splashed in the water and played hide-and-seek in the grass. The children were so adorable in their funny little brown grass skirts and fuzzy green bodies. When they stood still, which was rare, they seemed to disappear into the landscape.

The springs and surrounding plants could have easily passed for my world, but there were huge yellow bees that looked like bright yellow meatballs buzzing around. They seemed to be observing me with their bulging compound eyes. There were also black dragonflies flitting around the springs, performing their mating dances. When the sun broke out from the clouds, I was startled as the dragonflies broke into a riot of flashy colors. They were an iridescent rainbow of colors which morphed and changed with each wing stroke. Their wings sparkled in the sun, and they were dazzling. I was mesmerized watching them.

Grinslade came up, poked me, and motioned for me to put on my shoes. "Chief, Big Woody, commands us to resume our journey." I pointed to the black dragonfly perched on the reed. Sunlight hit its black wings, and it changed into a riot of colors, as if it was performing on cue for us. "We have colorful dragonflies in my world too, but they're nothing like this. How do they do it?" Grinslade shrugged his shoulders. "That is the way of their magic."

I looked down at the grubby, fat pixie dressed in his grass skirt, wearing mosses and a vest of leaves. "What's your magic, Grinslade?" He smiled and winked before he disappeared. I got up looking around and dusted the dirt off of my rear, and he reappeared in the same place.

I smiled at him. "Can all the True People of the Trees become invisible?" I thought it best to use the politically correct name for pixies when addressing them. He shook his head, "No, it is a very common and simple magic for most of my clan. But no, not everyone can become invisible. Magic can change, vary due to time of day, different seasons, or age. It is the way with our world. The world changes and so does magic. They are one in the same. We have a saying, _magic is as magic does_."

That made me giggle, "Grinslade, I think I've heard a saying like that back home." We turned to start walking up the slope. "Perhaps our worlds are closer than we think." I thought about the pixies attending Sunday Service and the reverend's expression when he saw his new parishioners. I could only answer Grinslade with a big smile.

We continued walking well after dark. Even with the pixies' glowing sticks, it was difficult for me to dodge all of the brush reaching over the path. My arms were scratched, and my clothes were torn. I untied most of the ropes hanging from my belt because they were catching the brush. By the time we reached our destination, I was exhausted and struggled with each step.

We came to a small clearing, visually it didn't look special. There was no door, gate, or magic mirror; I saw nothing out of the ordinary. But I could feel it and smell it; intense magic was definitely there. The air felt heavy, and it smelled like an over-cooked apple pie. It was sweet with apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, but was definitely scorched. The pixies became nervous and jittery, looking around anxiously.

Tall Oak gave one of my last ropes a good yank to get my attention. He motioned for me to bend down and said quietly in my ear, "Maybe you should lead to make sure it is your world before we follow. We have heard of demon worlds full of fire that lie beyond these doors and worlds full of ruthless magical warriors."

I gave him a slack jaw stare. "You mean this might not even be the right door to my world?" He nodded his head. "There are many doors, and doors we probably know nothing about. We brought you to the closest one."

This hadn't occurred to me. What if I walked into some demon world, or into a hellish situation and couldn't get back? I shook my head. "Well, I guess we have to start somewhere. Do I just walk forward and hope to hit the right spot?"

Tall Tree's forehead furrowed as he pondered the question. "Let us wait until the moon rises and comes out from behind the clouds. That is when it will be at its most powerful."

We walked back to the edge of the clearing and watched the moon rise. The moon peeked out from the clouds, and the air seemed to shiver in the middle of the clearing. The grass disappeared, and a dark black-blue oily slick appeared on the land. We walked over to the area and looked down at the ominous pool. Up close, it looked nasty, inky black, and dangerous. It seemed to absorb most of the light. Even though the moon was directly overhead, I couldn't see its reflection.

That tar pit was not at all what I thought a magical door should look like. It should be a grand doorway or gate. I would say the magic words "hocus pocus" or "abracadabra" and the doors would grandly open. Celestial music would be playing in the background as I look inside and decide whether to walk in or not. The thought of stepping into a black tar pit just didn't do a thing for me. I bent down and put my finger in the black goo and felt nothing. It was like a mirage which didn't actually exist.

"Tall Oak, what if I go in and discover it's the wrong world? Will I be able to turn around and go back?" He crossed his arms and shook his head. "We have no way of knowing. All the lore on these doors is of danger, treachery and loss."

I muttered, "Dandy_,"_ under my breath. I turned and looked at the dozens of pixies hauling their meager, worldly possessions on little hand carts, with bundles on their backs. Their fuzzy green children were piled on top of the carts or sleeping in their parents' arms. With resignation I said, "I guess I should go in first.

We discussed lots of options on how to communicate through the door. There were countless flaws with all the ideas. We were all so tired and ignorant about the door that we couldn't come up with any solutions . I was going to be the lab rat. Our final plan was that Tall Oak would grab one end of the rope, and I would give the rope two yanks if it was the right world. I would step back if it was the wrong world, and if I could not, I would yank the rope once.

All the pixies were quiet and still as we watched the moon slowly become cloud-free. The smell of cinnamon became very strong. Tall Oak patted me on the foot. "Now, it's time." I took a big step into the tar pit and felt like I had just stepped over a cliff. My body dropped like a rock into a bottomless hole. I could not breathe; I was flailing about, trying to escape. Suddenly, air hit my lungs and found myself thrashing about on the ground. Gasping, I rolled and sat up. Immediately, I realized that I was sitting at the edge of the neighboring cemetery and looking into the woods. The moon was very bright overhead. The black inky surface beside me seemed to be sinking into the grass. The rope which was still tied to me disappeared into the blackness. I gave the rope two yanks, untied my end, and laid it down. I sat there and waited for about 15 minutes, wondering, _Where are they?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The Ironwood Clan was a no-show. Walking back into that phantom tar pit or black hole was not an option for me. Tall Oak knew I would only return if it was the wrong world. The pixies not following me was never discussed. In fact, just walking through the portal and finding the right world was as far as the plan went.

I was exhausted and not sure what to do. My mind wandered back, and I was amazed that I got this far. True, I was being dragged, poked, prodded and ridden by pixies, but no one tried to stop us. It occurred to me that if someone stopped the pixies, that someone might come walking through the door at any moment. Going home wasn't an option, but I needed a phone. Bill wouldn't mind if I used his house.

There might have been a window at Bill's house that was unlocked, but I was beyond caring. I broke out a window and unlocked the back door. Immediately, I was at the kitchen sink, slurping water from the faucet. Tap water never tasted so divine.

Mr. High Tech vampire had a phone system that was almost too much for me. Finally, I heard a dial tone after randomly punching buttons. Eric's phone went directly to voice mail, so I left a message. "I'm okay, please call me. I will be at this number until I hear from you." It was sweet and simple. Eric would recognize Bill's number. I called Fangtasia, but they were already closed for the night. In hopes that someone was listening but not picking up, I told the machine that it was urgent and left my name and number with the added information of "Eric's wife." I have never believed I was actually married to Eric. But when I'm in trouble, I had no problem whipping out the wife card and playing it.

After scrounging through Bill's kitchen cabinets, all I could find was True Blood. I was contemplating drinking it when I found a cabinet that must have been the food stash for Bill's girlfriend, Selah. It held two 6-packs of Slim-fast and some stale soda crackers. I muttered, "Oh, how perfect." The skinny bitch with her skinny thighs would probably sip her little liquid meal while Bill drank his True Blood. They had been so perfect for each other since Bill hates watching people eat. Selah was so enamored with vampires that I would not be surprised if she asked him to turn her. In fact, I would bet a month of tips that happened. Of course, he would never agree and that was probably when she decided to take a job out of town. Oh well, I don't feel bad if Bill thought he was being used. What goes around comes around.

According to the Slim-fast label, one little can was a substitute for one meal. I muttered, "Piifft! I don't think so." Three cans of the chalky brown stuff referred to as 'chocolate' were gone before I switched to chalky white. I took my can of vile 'vanilla' with me to Bill's master bathroom. While running my bath water, I couldn't stop thinking about the pixies. What should I do? A thorough scrub of strategic spots didn't reveal any answers to me. I wrapped up in Bill's plush bathrobe, and crawled under the linens on his big four poster bed. The phone was close by, but I moved it right next to my head, so I would hear it ring. Before I turned off the light, I noticed that Bill had redecorated his bedroom. The new wallpaper matched the stylish floral comforter perfectly. It was all so tasteful. Selah and Bill probably picked out the designer pattern together. As I dozed off I thought, _Bleah, how perfect_.

I fell asleep immediately, but my dreams were filled with danger. I was being chased through tall grasses while searching for lost green baby pixies. I found myself in the shack where Thing One and Thing Two had tortured me and eaten my flesh. Only this time, it was Dermot and Claude who were torturing me. When they grew bored, they would eat pixies, one by one. I lost it when Claude began munching on the tiny pixie with a weed on top of her head. I screamed at him. You're both gonna die for this! And when you do, I'm gonna put your dust in my Sweet-n-Low, sugar bowl and every morning, I'm gonna have fairy in my coffee and corn flakes. We'll see who ends up eating who!

The bedroom still appeared dark when I awoke. I felt like road kill. My dreams exhausted me. I rolled over and looked at the clock and saw it was three in the afternoon. A pressing human need got me up and to the bathroom. While doing my business, I decided that something nasty must've crawled into my mouth and died. Slim-fast turned to Shit-fast. Now, that's something they should write on their little cans.

I looked around and found Bill's toothbrush and toothpaste. I didn't feel like going upstairs and searching for my old toothbrush. I noticed that Bill also had dental floss. I wondered, _why would a vampire need floss?_ It occurred to me that both vampires I had dated were extremely oral. Selah's face flashed in my mind. A thoughtful moment later, I decided to go find my old toothbrush after all.

Bill had his clothes arranged in categories, so it wasn't hard for me to find his black sweat pants and black Grateful Dead t-shirt. My clothes were beyond disgusting. I checked the phone and was surprised to see that it was flashing with three messages. Apparently, Bill had his phone programmed to roll over to voice mail immediately, so it never rang. Two messages from Eric and one from Pam all said the same thing- sit tight, do not leave, Eric will be there just after dark.

Well, what to do now? The weather station on TV informed me that it had been three days since Niall's last visit, and tonight would be a full moon. I channel surfed and popped open a white colored Shit-fast. Bill had cable, so there were over 300 channels of nothing to watch. It didn't matter, because I was too worried about the pixies to focus on a show. Now that I had slept and eaten, I couldn't stop thinking about the True People. As I sat there fretting, there was a tinkling of broken glass in the kitchen. Quietly, I got up and slipped into the hallway to look into the kitchen. There was a tiny creature climbing through the broken window. It was Tall Oak! "Tall Oak, where've you been? I waited by the door, but no one ever showed up."

The pixie chief jumped from the window frame to the counter top and made a hard landing. He was dirty and looked tired, he wiped his face with his grass skirt. I got him a full glass of water and took it to him. He used his hands to drink and then washed his face in the glass of water.

"Tall Oak, where's your clan? Are they okay? Did they make the crossing too?"

He wiped his face and said in a weary high voice, "Yes, we made the crossing. When you passed through, the rope disappeared. We did not know whether you made it or not. We had many _difficult_ discussions about what to do." He stopped to rub his jaw for a moment. "Finally, we decided to go, but by then the cloud cover had become thick and it took time before the moon was bright enough for all of us to pass. You were gone once we arrived. We followed your scent, but it took us to a different house east of here. The house was in a large clearing."

He squatted down on the counter top and caught his breath. "Sookie huge-man, there was the scent of a very powerful and evil fairy surrounding that house. We believe he is there; we dared not go further."

"Was it Dermot? Was it Dermot or Claude Brigant?"

He shook his head, "No, much worse. This fairy is the head of the Royal House of Brigant, who has warred for a millennium with the other powerful High Fae. He is why we have no home. All those who did not aligned themselves with his house have suffered at the hands of his supporters. It is Naill Brigant; Bloody Brigant." He quickly spat on the kitchen counter top.

Leaning back against the kitchen wall, I slid down to the floor. Sometimes, it just can't get bad enough. "Tall Oak, there must be some kind of a mistake. Niall is my Great-Grandfather, and he has always been good to me."

The little one looked down at me from the counter and made clucking noises while he shook his head. "Pardon Suckie, but Niall may be good to some of his own, but he is cruel and unjust to those who object to his rule. We backed Braendan and he was defeated. Niall looks poorly upon those who were not loyal and demands high tributes from all groups, even the poor True People. If he knew that my clan was trying to escape his oppression, he would destroy us."

Why was I not surprised? I rubbed my eyes. "My dear Chief, it sounds like you bet on the wrong horse and lost big. Paying up is a bitch, and she's always in heat. Where are your people now?"

"They are hiding in the woods, just south of the place with odd stones which smells of death. I was scouting around when I picked up your scent, and it brought me here to this house. This place reeks of death magic, but I distinctly smelled you."

"This house belongs to my vampire neighbor and good friend, Bill Compton. He is away convalescing. I thought it was safer for me to stay here. Tall Oak, I don't know what is going on. But I sure don't want to get into an argument with Niall about where you're going to live. I think in this case we need to just lay low. Ya know that saying, 'discretion is the better part of valor?' The door will close tonight and then we're both home free. Go back and fetch your clan and bring them here. I will try to get y'all some food." He seemed relieved and readily agreed. He disappeared once he was through the back door, and I could see tiny foot prints in the grass as he trotted back towards the cemetery.

I thought, _Gosh, there's no one I'm willing call to bring us food. There are no fast food places that will deliver out in the sticks. I need a gopher. _That's when his sour face registered in my mind, Eric's day man, Bobby. I had to smile when I thought, _Oh, he is going to despise me for this, but he already despises me, so I've nothing to lose. Besides, Eric told him to obey me. I'll give Bobby a little call. _

Information had his number, and he answered on the first ring. He used a very stiff business greeting of "Northman Incorporated." When did Eric incorporate and why? I pushed that aside and started the conversation with, "Hey Bobby, this is Eric's wife, Sookie." As if he knew dozens of Sookies. "I need you to run an errand for me."

There was silence on the other end. I could tell he was biting his tongue, so I continued. "I'm kinda in a bind right now and have no transportation. I need you to go to the store and pick up some items for me." There was no response. Finally, there was the sound of teeth grinding followed by, "Of course, how may I help you?" I thought, _Good boy, good flunky. _

It occurred to me that I had no idea what pixies ate, so I tried to include natural foods like granolas with nuts, and plenty of junk food for me. I could hear him chuckle when I told him to pick up two six packs of Slim-fast. Jerk. He took down the directions and said it would be well over an hour before he could get there, but he would leave immediately. He said nothing about money, so I figured he would be using Eric's credit cards.

I puttered around, watching TV and brushing my hair while I waited for the Ironwood Clan; but they never showed up. Pacing and looking out the window didn't help. The tiny troop was definitely over due. A feeling of dread started seeping into the pit of my stomach, and I knew something had to be wrong. Eric told me not to leave, but I had to go look for Tall Oak and the pixies.

Before leaving, I left a note on the front door for Bobby. Walking quietly through the cemetery, I looked for signs of the pixies. At the southern boundary, I began to see their possessions smashed to pieces and scattered about. I followed the debris trail, and it took me to my house.

At the edge of the woods, I crouched down by a large oak tree and surveyed the scene. Everything looked quite; there were no signs of life. Should I go in or not? Was Niall really there or some other fairy? Suddenly, Junior appeared at my side. He must have been prowling the woods when he spotted me. He was excited and thrilled to see me. I petted him and tried to get him to calm down. When I looked up, I saw a man walking out from the edge of the woods heading towards my home. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was the werewolf, Preston Pardloem, my only one night stand.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Whispering, I said, "Jesus Hubert Christ! Preston picks this moment to pop-in and take me on a werewolf picnic?"

We had not even spoken since I saved his naked hiney from a werewolf pack, over two Christmases ago. What timing, that he should show up now. At that moment, Niall walked out of my house and greeted the were. Preston bowed deeply to him, and they turned and walked into my house just like old friends. No, not like friends; more like master and servant.

I exhaled and put my head in my hands. Sometimes, I am confused by what's obvious; obviously, it isn't obvious. I reached out to lightly touch their minds-- definitely two effing fairies and no werewolves.

Junior rubbed against my legs and let me know he was excited about the visitors. But more importantly, he was hungry. As I sat there trying to absorb what I just witnessed, Preston's previous visit trickled back to me.

Interesting, that Preston (my only one-night stand) served Niall. A thought hit me. _Did Niall set me up with Preston?_ That couldn't be. Preston was hurt, and there were werewolves looking for him, or were they? Preston could change into a wolf so easily, minus the sounds that shifters and weres make. Also, he healed remarkably fast. The entire night had a surreal or druggy feel to it.

I was pissed and wanted answers. Now. Completely forgetting my pledge of discretionary valor, or whatever that saying was, I stomped out of the woods. Junior was trotting at my ankles, as I marched up to the front door. I walked right in, like I owned the place, because I did.

There on Gran's couch sat Niall peering into the cat carrier that was sitting on the coffee table. Tall Oak and several clan members were lying on their backs inside the carrier. Niall and Preston looked positively shocked when I strode into the house. I looked at the pixies in the carrier, and my mind struggled to switch gears from Preston to pixies. "What, what in blue blazes is going on here?"

Preston jumped up and bowed. Niall stood and walked towards me. He hugged me, placed his hands on my shoulders and smiled. "Sookie, you are alive and well. I am astonished and elated. I was certain that Dermot had killed you. I was in the process of questioning these little imps from hell to discover their roles in that betrayal."

I pulled away from Niall's grasp. "These little imps are my friends. They helped me escape from Dermot and brought me back home. I would appreciate it if you would release them."

Niall's smile faded, and his expression seemed perplexed. "Sookie, please sit down, so I might tell you what has transpired, and why I suspected these pixies."

I remained standing. "I'm listening."

Niall appeared hesitant. He looked down at Junior who was staring into the cat carrier with avid interest. "Junior, is that what you call him?"

Puzzled, I looked down at the cat. "Well, yes."

"He let me know that you were in a great deal of trouble and that Claude and Dermot were responsible."

"What? Junior called you and spoke to you?"

"No. Not in a manner which humans are familiar with, but he did communicate with me." He paused. "Let me begin by saying that I was aware of a possible uprising, which threatened my sovereignty. I had reasons to believe that Dermot was behind it. There were also signs that he was crossing back and forth into this world. I decided to delay the closing of the door to allow more time to infiltrate the group and to reveal all those responsible. I also wished to test the loyalty of others whom I suspected. As humans would say, I gave them plenty of rope to hang themselves."

"I happened upon Junior during one of my forays to this world and knew he would be perfect to be my eyes and ears. He could observe you in a discreet manner, letting me know if my assistance was required. I only had to add a touch of magic to create a link between us, so that I might communicate with him."

I bit my lip when I thought about Junior in my bedroom when Eric was there.

Niall continued, "When Dermot and Claude abducted you, Junior let me know immediately. Unfortunately, the timing of the abduction and Claude's involvement caught me completely off guard. Tracking Claude took longer than I anticipated, but once found, he revealed the duplicity."

He smiled grimly. "Dermot was a fool to think he could hide in a land that I now control. He told me that he ignited your prison from afar once he realized he was being brought to me, rather than an accomplice.

Niall closed his eyes momentarily and added. "My fury and grief overwhelmed me, and I took my sword to my son's throat. Unfortunately, I failed to question him about the location of the shelter, and Claude did not know."

"I came back to tell Eric and Jason of your death. I sensed the presence of pixies when I crossed. A pixie traveling to another world is almost unheard of. I felt certain they had a part in this treachery and was in the process of extracting the truth from them." He looked hesitantly at Preston before adding,"I summoned Preston to assist me in searching your woods for any stray pixies that may have escaped. Preston is an excellent tracker; as you know, he is familiar with your land."

I thought, _My land is not all he is familiar with. _

Junior got my attention by scratching on the mesh of the cat carrier. "Niall, what exactly is Junior? Is he under a spell, or a shape changer, or a cat?"

Niall smiled. "He is none of those creatures. Human literature has several different names for blended creatures. But I believe the modern scientific term would be 'hybrid.' While he looks like a cat, there are magical and human components to him. The coincidence that I should find such a unique creature roaming in your woods is beyond extraordinary. I believed he was here for a purpose." He looked down at the cat and added, "Since he is no longer needed, shall I rid you of him?"

Junior was standing on the coffee table looking inside the cat carrier sniffing the pixies. I sensed his hungry excitement over the little creatures. His human component was the reason I could pick up on his feelings. "No, he can stay. Junior was right; Dermot and Claude did abduct me. Dermot intended to kill me and then you. The pixies led me through the fairy door. I promised them that if they could get me home, they may live on my land." I thought it prudent not to discuss their opinion of their current leader and why they wanted to leave.

Preston immediately broke into a big smile and chuckled. As though, I had just said something funny and novel. Niall's eyebrows lifted in surprise, and the corners of his mouth curved a bit, but he resisted laughing. "Sookie, dear child, that is not possible. Pixies are creatures of the Fae world, and they must return. Granted, their magic is very limited. What they will be able to do in this world will be more limited. But, I would not wish pixies on anyone I cared for, especially you. On good days they are nuisances, and on bad days they are little fiends. They must be dealt with harshly to control them and rein them in. You are not of that ilk and will not be able to handle them. But since they assisted you, I will agree to not destroy them."

Niall said that as if not killing an entire group of beings was doing me a great favor. True, the little guys were beyond rude, but saying they must be dealt with harshly annoyed the heck out of me. I didn't know what "ilk" meant, but I was pretty sure I was being talked down to. I stuck my chin out and spoke with confidence. "Niall, as Sookie Stackhouse Brigant, I gave the True People of the Trees my word. If they helped get me back home, they could live here. They met their side of the deal; therefore, I intend to keep my end." I thought, _Niall, you're not the only one who can shovel the Brigant imperial poo. _

Niall's expression seemed to harden and his posture straightened. "Then so be it. We will take our leave. Come Preston." Apparently, I touched a noble nerve.

Preston smiled and started to speak to me, but I cut him off. I gave him a stern 'you've crossed the line' look, which I practice regularly as a barmaid. "I don't want to hear anything from you," I said. Once I saw Niall and Preston sitting together on my couch, I had all the answers I needed. I didn't want to go down the 'naive Sookie was duped' road again. Been there, done that, and got a big fat heartache.

They walked to my front door, and as Niall opened the door I asked, "What about Claude? Is he alive?"

Niall turned to me and answered calmly. "He lives, though he is no less culpable than Dermot. What is worse is that he could have achieved his goals without our deaths. Claude is a self-indulgent, narcissistic fool. And I was a fool for having hope for him. He is not worthy of a title or the Brigant name."

As they turned and walked out onto the front porch he added, "Claude lives in large part due to Claudine. I might have struck him down too, if not for her intervening on his behalf. Sookie, you were quite right. Claudine is an angel. She has reached perfection, and I am exceedingly proud of her."

"While she did save Claude from my sword, I fear she can not save him from himself. She warned him that his life would be in peril if he did not stay in the Fae world and make amends for his actions. He fled my court, and I know not where he is. Though, I heard a rumor he is in the human world."

Niall looked very weary and tired as he continued his account. "I reminded Claude that you had powerful vampire friends who shall seek retribution for killing you. At the time, I did not know you lived. He knows that these vampires, as well as others, will enjoy hunting him. Once the door is closed there will be no retribution from the Fae world for his death."

I nodded my head on that point. Yes, several vampires I knew would gladly hunt Claude. There goes his future as a star and sex god of the human world. Now, he'll be traveling incognito or hiding in the sticks of Wyoming. I guess there was some justice in that.

Niall hugged me and carefully placed a kiss on my cheek. I immediately felt a surge of energy and power flow into me. I felt rested, and my muscles were no longer tired. He stepped back and said, "Sookie, I am as proud of you as I am Claudine. You have never ceased to amaze me. Farewell, my dear."

Preston smiled and made a small bow. Junior and I watched them as they walked down the porch stairs and out into the open field. When they reached the edge of the woods, Niall looked back at me and waved. I couldn't help myself; I waved back, but couldn't make myself fake a smile. I am so done with fairies_. _And yet, I distinctly felt saddened. I sighed because I was a glutton for punishment to miss him.

I had to push Junior out of the way with my foot in order to get back into the house without him. He was eager to look at the pixies. I went to the cat carrier and opened the door to let out Tall Oak and his group. They seemed stunned as they staggered out. Tall Oak had lost his headdress, and he held his arm like it was hurt. There was a scratching sound coming from somewhere. I noticed the straw basket Preston had brought was sitting on the floor shaking. I released the latch, and the lid sprang open. Pixies came spilling out. It was like a clown car in that far more pixies were tumbling out than there was actual space for. Some of the fuzzy green babies were crying. I felt terrible. Why Niall would do such a cruel thing to these little people was beyond me.

At that moment, someone knocked crisply on my front door. Annoyed, I thought, _Great, just what I need right now, a visitor._ Through the spy hole I saw Eric's assistant. He had his best pissed-off look on his face. I turned around and waved at the pixies to hide. All the commotion instantly stopped, as they dove under the couch and disappeared. I opened the door, and Bobby walked in without being asked. In a huffy, prissy voice he asked where the kitchen was. I pointed, and he stomped to the kitchen.

He didn't look me in the eye when he said, "I saw the note on the front door of the other house saying to leave the groceries on the front porch. But thought I should check to see if you had returned home before leaving perfectly good groceries to spoil. I see your car is here. Is something wrong with it?"

He was mentally yelling at me that I was jerking him around, that I was a piece of trash not worthy of Eric. I threw up my mental shields and ignored his snotty-toned question, and thanked him for delivering the groceries. He walked out to get the last grocery bag from the SUV, as I started putting them up. Several pixies appeared and began inspecting the food on the kitchen table. When Bobby walked back into the kitchen, they hid in the bags or disappeared. He set down the last bag and told me in a lofty tone how busy he was and how this task took him away from his important duties. I thought, _Yea, like picking up Eric's dry cleaning and getting his car washed_. _Whata douchebag._ The pixies began scuttling around the kitchen counter behind Bobby. My stress level jumped; they were up to something.

When Bobby turned to walk to the front door, I saw that the pixies had drawn on the back of his sports jacket a large caricature of him, only his head was in the shape of a penis. Below it was written _'A Real Tool.'_ It looked like they used one of my large permanent markers.

I didn't have time to do anything about it because Bobby opened the front door, and Junior shot in. I tried to intercept the cat, but he bounded over my arms. He ran into the kitchen, which was followed by squeals, hissing, and a crash. I quickly said goodbye to Bobby, practically pushing him out, and closed the door in his incensed face.

I hurried back into the kitchen and was horrified to see Junior was tied up. A group of pixies were hoisting him into a large turkey baking dish, while another group of pixies had opened the oven door.

I shrieked, "You can't eat a _cat!"_ They dropped Junior and disappeared.

While I was untying the angry wiggling cat, Grinslade appeared before me. "Suckie, if cats were not intended to be eaten, why are they made of such tasty meat?"

Junior shot out of the kitchen as soon as he was released. I looked down at the fat tiny pixie, in a beat-up hula skirt, and had to start laughing. Sometimes, you just gotta laugh; it's the shock absorber of life. I laughed so hard tears came to my eyes. "Why indeed, Grinslade? Why not?"

A group of pixies were standing around, eyeing me cautiously. "Okay guys, I will tell you why not. True People, we need to have some ground rules around here. This is my house, and you are to stay out of it. You're also to never tease, hurt or eat my cat, Junior."

Tall Oak appeared suddenly before me and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Sookie for saving us from Bloody Brigant. My people and I will honor your rules. We did not know the creature was a pet. The exertion of pulling you to safety, and saving you from the evil Fae has been great. We are starving due to lack of food." He looked at me with his pitiful eyes. A tiny female pixie with her green fuzzy baby appeared next to him, and he put his arm around her in the most fatherly. I noticed he got my name right.

I remembered pounding down all the nasty Slim-fasts I could put my hands on, and I began to feel sorry for them. "Tall Oak, I don't want you to starve. Y'all did save me. Before you go, let me fix you something good to eat."

I poured granola cereal with berries in a bowl. When I turned back around, they had opened a pizza and were helping themselves to it. I gave them the fruit and cereal, but they ignored it as they tore into the half-frozen pizza.

"Hey fellas, wait a minute. Cold pizza is okay, but let me heat one for you. It's much better cooked."

I pulled out another pizza and put it in oven. All the pixies were now eating the cold pizza. They were like little pigs at a large circular trough. Some of them walked into the middle of it to get at the toppings. They elbowed each other and bickered. One stout fellow raised his sauce covered face and asked me, "Miss, do ya have a draft of sweet mead?"

"No, but I have sweet tea and a Dr. Pepper."

They were wary of the fizzy sweet drink that I placed in front of them, but once they tasted it they were vying for a place at the bowl. Apparently, the Ironwood Clan didn't grasp the concept of taking turns. They started shoving each other and grabbing at the bowl. Before I knew it, the Dr Pepper was sloshed, and the bowl toppled over on my kitchen floor and shattered. At the same time, the fussing and chittering around the pizza had taken on an angry tone. A pepperoni tug of war had turned into a brawl. The pixies were fighting, and some of the fuzzy green babies had begun to cry. One little fellow was running through my house with a pepperoni held above his head while being chased by another brandishing a cork screw.

Begging them to stop did not slow the ruckus. I walked over to my back door and threw is open, and I yelled at the top of my lungs, "Everyone out of my house, now! Or, I am calling Bloody Brigant!" They disappeared or zipped out of the door as fast as their sauce-covered feet could take them.

I sighed, looking at the mess. There were bits of pizza everywhere. It was as though a pizza bomb had exploded in my kitchen. There were little tiny sauce foot prints all over and sticky Dr. Pepper spilled on the floor.

I bolted the backdoor lock, put cat food in Junior's bowl, poured myself a glass of sweet tea and went into my living room. The mess would be waiting for me after I rested. The old couch felt so good. I picked up my cell phone and left Eric and Pam messages. I let them know I was home and okay. I told Eric's voice mail that Niall had executed Dermot. I didn't feel the least bit of sadness about Niall killing Dermot.

Junior had come out from my bedroom and sat with me on the couch. I put my feet up on the old coffee table, and stroked him while talking to voice mails. Afterwards, I laid my head back and said. "Kitty, I fear our new tenants may be a challenge." I felt a mind tickle and turned to see the cat giving me the most unbelieving look, as though I was a complete idiot. "Junior, do you know why opinions are like buttholes?" He jumped down and disappeared into the kitchen. I spoke loudly in his direction. "If I had a dog he'd eat all the pizza off the floor. A dog would look up to me and think I'm wonderful. Maybe I should visit the local shelter!"

There was a tapping, and I turned to see a young pixie's face smashed up to the window. When he caught my attention, he said in his high tiny voice, "Helloo, Suckie Huge Man. We were wondering is the second pizza cooked yet?"

I sighed, closed my eyes and thought, _I'll think about them tomorrow._

10


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

After cleaning up the pizza calamity, I found myself thinking about Preston. That Christmas Eve night with Preston was nothing more than an elaborate farce orchestrated by Niall. I had connected the dots when I saw Niall and Preston together, but the emotional impact was just now hitting home. I had to force myself to stop thinking about that night, or I would become despondent. Both fairies were gone and that event was history. Besides, there was no ice cream in the freezer for a decent pity party.

I turned on some music and took a relaxing bath. My long thick hair was becoming a major hassle. But just for tonight, I curled the ends and left it down. Once dressed, I looked into the mirror and admired my new blouse. It was a rich indigo and purple color that showed just the right amount of cleavage. The color looked good on me and matched the dark purple chandelier earrings that Amelia had given me. I was pleased at the image staring back at me. She was way past cute and definitely sexy.

Ready to go, I sat outside on the porch swing and waited for the sun to set. A mental itch told me that Junior wanted my attention. He was sitting next to my feet staring up at me. "Junior, you can either go with me to spend the night at Eric's house, or you can take your chances with the pixies. It's up to you." He looked up at me, and I knew he was going to remain behind. "Fine. Stay here and earn your keep; weed the flowerbed, or paint my bedroom."

As I rocked in the porch swing, Junior crawled into my lap. He had decided to earn his keep by allowing me to adore him. I stroked him and thought about the last couple of days. Did Niall knowingly set me up as bait to catch Dermot? Would he do such a thing? Sadness kept trying to alter my good mood.

The sun was setting when I felt Eric wake up. His life force seemed to be pumping in double time. This was the first time I had felt his existence pounding away within the bond, since I came back through the fairy door. Being in danger, worried, or exhausted has a way of distracting a person. He was angry and didn't bother to dampen it, so I felt it all the way from Shreveport. Yep, this is what I meant when I told Amelia he could be overwhelming. His text messages started hitting my phone. I texted back that I was fine, and to please put a lid on the bond. I felt the agitation calm down to a low simmer.

He had gotten my voice mail, and he would be on his way to pick me up once the sun set. I texted back that I had my bags packed, and I could easily drive to Shreveport. He insisted that I wait for him to pick me up. I knew he was in one of those moods, and he wanted to check out the place personally. He learns more with his nose than I could ever tell him. Exactly 40 minutes after the sun had completely set, I heard Eric's Corvette driving up the gravel driveway.

Eric stepped out of his car and lifted his head to smell the air. I watched as he did his Road Runner trick, disappearing and reappearing in various locations. He was standing on my porch just moments later. Eric looked concerned as he reported that there had been a fairy on site whom he did not recognize and other supernatural creatures whom he could not identify at all.

I gave him a sassy smile and tried to be cool and flippant when I told him, "The unknown fairy works for Niall. Do the supe-creatures smell like pixies? Cause, an entire clan of little dudes came back with me from the Fae world, and they're crashing with me. Did ya miss me, Sweetie?"

Eric glared at me and his eyes narrowed. "Sookie, while you were gone, I was doing my best to find you without going on a full blown rampage. I knew you were alive, but could not feel or locate you. The only thing that remains of Claude's business and house is rubble. Pam was also very busy glamouring and 'convincing' certain individuals that pressing charges against me was not in their best interests. She has also been placating vampires as well as human officials. Fangtasia is now a major sponsor of Shreveport's next Mardi Gras, and I owe De Castro a favor."

"Oh Eric, I'm.." He cut me off. "No need to apologize. Sookie, you are a wonderful and exasperating woman who rarely listens to me." He clenched his fists and continued. "I have a strange and protective feeling that almost overwhelms me at times. I want to take you home and lock you up to keep you out of trouble. I should…" He stopped his rant abruptly. I suspected he had a lot more to say, but thought better of it. Instead, he quickly covered by saying, "You can tell me all about what happened, on the way back to Shreveport."

I knew what he said was only the tip of the iceberg. He had been very upset and had been literally beating down doors and people looking for me. An irate and frustrated vampire sheriff can create a lot of unhappy folks. My flippant manner was poor timing. He may love me, but he was still a very old and very male vampire.

I locked my front door, as he grabbed my garment bag and suitcase. We turned towards the porch steps, and Grinslade and three other male pixies immediately stopped us. They were standing on the porch railing with spears and shields in their hands, looking as menacing as their tiny five inches would allow.

I noticed immediately that they were no longer dressed in grass skirts. They appeared to be clothed in some sort of light blue floral-patterned breeches and kilts. The fabric's pattern reminded me of some gardening gloves located in the storage shed. The leaf vests were gone; they now sported newspaper ponchos. Grinslade had opted for the more colorful festive look of the Sunday comics while his companions had selected the subdued patterns of the obituaries.

Grinslade glared at Eric while he said to me. "Is this treacherous vampire threatening you? Shall we free you of his dead carcass?"

I looked up at Eric. His eyes were wide, staring at the tiny menace. Ignoring the insult, I responded by plastering a big fake smile on my face. "Grinslade, you're mistaken. This is Eric Northman, my boyfriend. He wasn't threatening me. Eric this is Grinslade. Grinslade and his companions refer to their kind as the 'True People of the Trees'. They are part of the Ironwood Clan."

They regarded each other and Eric coolly said, "So, you must be the pixies I smelled while inspecting the grounds." My fake smile vanished. Oh dear, he dropped the P-bomb.

Grinslade and his companions readied their spears. I could hear rustling and scurrying in the nearby shrubs and on the roof of the house. The pixies had surrounded us. Grinslade scowled and kept an eye on Eric while saying. "Sookie, you are part of the living. Your great-grandfather is King of the High Fae. You dishonor yourself and your family with this abomination. You should…"

I quickly cut him off and wagged a finger at him. "That's enough! My life is none of your business, and you will be courteous to my friends. Living on my land does not give you the right to judge me or the company I keep."

Grinslade shook his head in wonder. "Aye! A Dead-Walker is the lover of Bloody Brigant's great-granddaughter." He spat on the porch railing. "You must be one special vampire for Ole-Bloody to not destroy you, most Fae would have."

Eric had enough. He stepped forward and fully fanged said in a calm and deadly manner, "Shoo, little pixie, or I will have you as a snack drink."

In a puff of air, all four pixies disappeared.

I gave Eric a stony look. "My, that went well! Come on, let's get out of here before you have to fight the entire clan." Eric let out a good laugh. A pixie threatening him was just too much. He said Pam would never believe a five-inch tall pixie threatened him. He laughed all the way to his Corvette.

To start off with, the car's tires were flat and the convertible top was slashed. Eric snarled something in another language and was inside his car in a flash. The red custom leather upholstery had large squares cut out of it, and the interior smelled like a latrine. There were little dirty footprints all over the car.

I put my hands over my eyes, and I felt silent laughter shaking my body. This was just too much. The pixies got Eric right where it would smart: in his big, red phallic symbol.

Eric turned the key in the engine, and the motor made a weak grr-grr sound before going silent. He snarled and literally flew out of the car and opened the hood. He took one look at the motor, and he slammed the hood shut.

Without a word, we walked to my car. He put his hand out, and I gave him my car keys. We got into my car, and he cranked the ignition but there was only a clicking sound. I shook my head. Yep, Murphy's Law was the only law obeyed around here.

Eric was letting his anger slip through the bond, making my head start to throb. He whipped out his cell phone and told Pam to send a tow truck for two cars. He also instructed her to pick us up immediately. Before he hung up, he cautioned her to be ready for a possible fight. I could hear her yell, "Yes!" on the other end. He walked back to his car and pulled out a large knife from under his seat. He popped the trunk and pulled out a sword. My heart jumped, "Eric, you can't use those on the pixies."

He coolly replied, "I doubt a pixie would allow me to get close enough to use my sword on him. I am removing these weapons before the tow truck arrives just as a precaution." Eric's precaution was contagious. I went back into my house and gathered up my iron trowel and my squirt guns full of lemon juice. We sat together facing the woods in a couple of lawn chairs. I thought about going back inside to get my shotgun when the thought occurred to me, _why was Eric so tense?_ Are we waiting for Pam, a pixie attack, or for something much worse to happen? The fairy door was still open, and Eric seemed to be expecting something to happen.

The moon was rising, and the night was very bright. Eric stopped checking his messages and looked up at the moon. He shifted his chair closer to mine, and he wrapped his arm around me. I felt his cool body against my warm one and smelled his dry scent. Eric leaned over and kissed the top of my head and said quietly, "I can fly us out of here if need be. Maybe we are meant to be here when the door closes. While we wait for Pam, tell me of your last few days and how you came to be a landlord for a clan of misbegotten pixies."

I told him about my misadventures in fairyland and tried to keep the story simple and factual. When I told him about my last conversation with Niall, I felt Eric's anger spike even through a constricted bond. He asked questions about how my presence would disrupt the Fae political world, but I couldn't answer. It all seemed like a cockamamie scenario to me, and Dermot didn't share any details or background with me. Why Claude got involved was beyond me. But Claude seemed different since Claudine died. I feared him.

Eric asked no further questions about Claude's involvement, once he learned that Claude had probably exiled himself in the human world. Quiet is rarely a good thing with Eric. I didn't bother to ask Eric to not seek retribution. I knew to save my breath. Claude was always in it for Claude, and I meant nothing to him. Once Claudine was gone, I was less than nothing. It figures.

I told Eric about the pixies assisting me, so they may live on my land. He lifted his eyebrows upon hearing that. He had never seen a pixie before tonight but had heard of them in the old world. All he knew of them was their reputation for causing trouble, and their intense distrust of outsiders. Pixies were not known for helping anyone.

In Eric's opinion, Niall used me as bait to catch Dermot and others. He sneered when I told him Niall left Junior with me as a precaution. I decided not to remind him that he sent addled Bubba to protect me, though I was in overt danger from the Fae. He didn't agree with my decision to stop Niall from returning the pixies back to their world.

I tried to shake off Eric's annoyance. I looked up at the moon and said quietly but firmly, "A deal is a deal, Eric. I would have burned to death in that grass hut if not for the pixies. They were being pushed to the fringes of their world and slowly exterminated. Here, they might be able to live in relative freedom."

Eric looked at me and broke into a smile showing just a bit of fang. "Sookie, that is one of your most endearing and infuriating qualities. Only _you _can see pixies as equal beings who are down-trodden, suffering creatures. You tend to see supernatural beings as good people who are simply misunderstood. Pixies are nothing more than little demons of the fairy world, and they will probably get you killed."

"You're wrong Eric. I'm not that naïve. You can't grow up listening to people's minds and believe anyone is good. But I prefer not to condemn anyone without a cause. Besides, what you're saying to me was exactly what people told me when I first started associating with vampires, and they still do. _You're_ likely to get me killed."

Eric's frown melted. Sadness flickered in his eyes, and he gave me a look I can only describe as loving. "Touché, Lover." He kissed my hand, wrapped his arm around me, and murmured in my ear. "Yes, I did miss you terribly."

I wasn't able to respond because Junior came streaking towards us, as though something was after him. He ran under the house. That was not a good sign. I mentally reached out to him and smelled dog. A dog had surprised him. I reached out but only felt the minds of pixies. They seemed to be buzzing more intensely. I stared hard at the woods but couldn't see anything. Eric stood and motioned for me to go into the house. I walked quietly inside and grabbed my shotgun, loaded it, and rejoined Eric. Eric rose up about 20 feet into the air and slowly landed.

He whispered, "Something is moving through the woods."

"Is it a werewolf or a shape shifter?" He shook his head no.

The air seemed heavy with tension. I exhaled, not realizing that I was holding my breath. There were no sounds in the night. The night creatures also seemed to be holding their breaths too.

Then all hell broke loose. There was a high-pitched squealing followed by high-pitched shrieks and whistles. There was something crashing through the underbrush. The treetops shook, and the high pitched whistles were followed by deep growls and snarls.

I ran towards the racket with my shotgun cradled in my arm. Eric appeared in front of me, and barked at me to go back to the house, before he disappeared. I ignored him and continued running until I reached the trees. The whistles had stopped and were replaced by high-pitched trilling and squeaking noises. Slowly and carefully, I picked my way through the woods towards the sounds. I didn't want to trip and break my neck in the dark.

There was a light off in the distance. I headed towards it. I heard a cracking noise, followed by deep grunts and hysterical squeaks. Stumbling forward, I came to a small clearing. From a large Oak tree limb, something or someone was swinging.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

I came to an abrupt stop. "Jesus of Judea! What in the heck are you doing back here?"

Preston was hanging upside down and thrashing about. He was also butt naked. He reached up to grab at the rope holding his ankles, and a group of pixies whacked his hands and feet with canes and whips. His feet were bright red and covered in cuts. The pixies were in the surrounding trees squealing and whooping it up with each whack.

Eric was standing nearby, pointing at the fairy and arguing with Tall Oak. I put my hands over my ears and yelled, "Everyone quiet!" The din settled down a few decibels. I pointed to the pixies above Preston. "Stop hitting him! Let him go, now!" All the pixies became silent. They looked at Tall Oak. He gave Eric a look of distain and casually said, "We can always catch him again if need be. Ironwoodians, do as our patroness requests; release him."

The pixies reluctantly cut the ropes binding Preston. He dropped about six feet, hitting the ground hard. He let out a grunt and rolled.

Eric walked in a circle around Preston and sniffed the air. He pointed his sword at the fairy's head. "You reek of a genuine wolf but also Fae. Who are you, and why are you here?"

Reaching for his ankles, Preston untied and pulled off the ropes which looked a lot like my clothesline. "I am here to speak to Sookie. Niall allowed me to pass through the portal, so that I may also tell her he has posted guards on the other side of the door. Nothing will pass through without his permission. These cursed pixies attacked me shortly after I arrived. I was forced to change to a wolf to escape them, but I tripped a snare."

I was impressed. In the short period of time that these little people were here, they made a trap and flushed their quarry into it. They must have been watching the door.

Eric's sword arm went lax as he edged closer to the fairy. Eric's eyes were dilated, and his nose flared. I could see his fangs sliding out, and he began to drool. I stepped forward. "Eric, if you can't control yourself, then you must leave. I want to speak to Preston."

Eric said nothing. Rather, he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet and stepped closer to the Fae. Grinslade suddenly appeared on Eric's shoulder. He gave the Viking's long blond hair a hard yank and shouted, "Are ya daft? Let the Fae be, or be hog tied!"

Startled, Eric snarled and made a swipe for the pixie, but the pixie was gone. Yet, that did seem to bring Eric to his senses. He walked back to the edge of the trees upwind from the Fae and waved his hand in an imperialist manner, letting me know I may proceed.

I walked in front of Preston to address him. "Okay, I'm here. Now say your piece."

He looked around at his audience of tiny glaring faces. "Might I have a word with you alone?"

"No. That's not gonna happen. Whatever you wish to say you'd better spit it out now."

The fairy wiped his face. "Sookie, as you have guessed, I am a fairy and not a true were. My family has the gift of shape-shifting. That night when we met…" He paused a moment and appeared be collecting his thoughts. "Niall sent me to you, so that you would not be alone that winter night. He created the ruse because he wanted you to accept me into your home and heart immediately. That is why he created the story about me being pursued by a were pack and needing your assistance. He knew you would help me. He said that you would not understand our customs and would be upset to know I was sent to be your companion for the night."

Eric must have been making menacing expressions because I noticed that Preston's attention shifted to looking at something behind me. "Please, know that in my world sending a gift of companionship and love is a well regarded gesture. It is not unusual to hear about a couple who met that way. Once I met you, I was quite taken back. I wanted to continue to see you, but Niall refused. He thought you would not understand our ways. Also, he wanted to keep you away from the constant violence of the Fae world."

My eyes must have rolled at this point, for he added, "Obviously, he failed in that regard and regrets it. I will be leaving now and returning to my world. I am only sorry that I did not get to know you better."

Preston tried to stand up, but his leg failed him. I reached down and gave him a hand to help him up. He was not in the least bit modest or self-conscious about being naked. I blushed as I had a quick flashback of us in bed together. I could hear Eric making noises behind me. I glanced behind me to find Eric in full fang, his eyes literally blazing. I let go of Preston's hand, shook my head and gave Eric a 'don't you even think about it' look.

Preston started walking back towards the cemetery. I thought, _My goodness, he could give Eric a run for his money in the best male butt contest_. I turned my head and saw tubby little Grinslade sitting on a tree branch. He gave me a big wink and a knowing smile. I felt my face turning crimson and thought, _Am I really so easy to read_?

I turned and addressed Tall Oak. "Please escort my Fae guest back to the door. If you could stay and guard the door until it closes, there will be another Dr. Pepper and a pepperoni pizza for y'all tomorrow."

That sent up a cheer. Dozens of pixies came out the brush and ran after Preston. I yelled after them. "But you're eating it outside, and we're going to have to have a come-to-Jesus meeting about what you did to Eric's and my car! There will be hell to pay for that!" But they were already gone.

Eric caught my eye and gave me a devious smile. His eyes glittered with humor. "You are always full of surprises, Lover. You will have to tell me about that winter night when you saved a were from another pack of weres and bedded a Fae."

I shook my head. "That's not how Gran raised me. A lady never discusses such things. I'm not about to talk about my only blind date with a Fae."

Eric sheathed his sword, walked to me, and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Mmm… you reek of fairy," he said while rubbing up against me.

I chuckled. "Eric, you have a one track mind."

"Only around you, Lover."

With that, he put my arms around his neck, took my shotgun in one hand, and picked me up by the rear in the other. I wrapped my legs around him, and we elevated above the tree tops. He gently air lifted us over the trees and carefully set me down in front of my house.

"Why didn't we do that to begin with?" I asked.

"We would have been a very easy target, but I have made many an escape that way, only a bit more quickly." I kissed his neck. "I'll get us something to drink while we wait for Pam."

I took my shotgun and walked to the front door. Junior greeted me and wanted inside. "Hey, little stinker, you make a fair alarm cat but not much of a guard. I think there is some sandwich meat left if you care to join us."

I put up my shotgun, while the True Blood heated in the microwave. I poured sweet tea for me and arranged the sandwich meat and warm blood on a tray. Once a waitress always a waitress. Eric had his sword sheathed and leaning up against his chair. I gave him his drink as I settled down in my chair. Eric looked down at the cat wolfing his sandwich meat. "I suppose you will be keeping the feline."

"Yep," was my only response.

I settled back in my chair and looked up at the moon. Eric was checking his e-mails. "Pam will be here shortly. By the way, she loves the illustration and commentary on Bobby's jacket. She wants to know who the artist is."

I chuckled as I thought about Bobby walking out of my house with the dick head on his jacket. "I believe it was the same little artists who trashed your car."

"Ah, she just sent me a picture of it. Obviously, those pixies took some creative license with the shape of his head," he laughed. "Speaking of pixies; it has come to my attention that they seem to be very protective of you."

"Sometimes they seem to like me, but they're always rude and insulting. They were definitely hostile to you, Bobby, and Preston; and they tried to cook and eat my cat."

Eric looked down at Junior chomping his sandwich meat. "Maybe having a clan of pixies in the woods surrounding your home is not such a bad idea. If they can capture a Fae then a were would not stand a chance. A vampire would be challenged to pass through these woods unmolested. They would certainly warn you of any intruders. Maybe I can reach an understanding with them. You said they like pizza?"

"Oh yes, with lots of pepperoni and meat. They are little carnivores, and they will fight for a Dr. Pepper, soda pop."

"Yes, maybe we can reach a sort of détente."

Eric relaxed in his chair, his long legs stretched out before him. He was smiling and showing a lot of fang. I knew that look. "What are you up to, Eric?"

"Nothing, it just occurred to me that when Bill returns he may find the new neighbors unacceptable. Or… they may find him unacceptable." I sighed. "Yes, pixies move in, the neighborhood goes to pot and everyone moves out." I shook my head and decided I would cross that bridge when I came to it.

Before I could continue, I saw a small flash of deep blue light coming up from the woods. "Eric did you see that?"

"Yes, I believe it is beginning; Niall is closing the door."

A full moon was high overhead and shining brightly. A larger streak of blue light shot up into the night sky, followed by another and another. The color of the light streaks changed to a deep purple. The flashes seemed to solidify to thin bolts.

There was a heavy fragrance of burned cinnamon in the air. The light looked like thin purple streaks of lighting shooting out of the trees and branching across the night sky. The fine tracery of intense purple light sparkled and shimmered; it was unworldly and beautiful. The color changed from purple to a hot pink, followed quickly by a fiery red. A light dusting of gold sparkles appeared to rain down. It was stunning. I sat back in my lawn chair with my iced tea in my hand and oohed and aahed. No Forth of July fireworks could match this display. The smell of burning cinnamon became overpowering. Magic was heavy in the air; it was suffocating.

The red light became lighter until it was electric orange followed quickly by gold. The bolts seemed thicker now, less spidery and less branching. The flashing became faster, until only one continuous column of light pulsating. The yellow light seemed to hiccup, only to be followed by a huge blast of white light which roared up from the trees, raining down white sparkles everywhere.

A loud clap of thunder cracked the night sky, followed by a shock wave of air pressure blasted over me. It threw me and my chair straight back into the grass. I shrieked and covered my face with my hands as wind blew over me. I could hear the thunder rumbling over the land.

Then it was over. The night sky was once again dark and the night air silent.

I looked up at Eric, and he was still sitting upright in his lawn chair. His hair was blown back, and he held an empty True Blood bottle in one hand and his cell phone in the other. He was still looking up at the sky, stunned.

I scrambled out of my chair and yelled. "Holy-moley! Wow! That was unbelievable! Eric, did you know that was going to happen?"

"No, I had no idea," he said quietly. "In all my years, I have never seen anything like it. The magical power that Niall must have harnessed to perform such a feat is extraordinary and formidable. I don't think he just constricted or barricaded the portal; he actually destroyed it."

I stood up, picked grass from my hair and righted my chair to sit down. A frightened Junior came running to me and jumped into my lap, wanting to be reassured.

Grinslade appeared before us and announced, "Just in case it escaped your notice, the door is gone. Nothing passed through while we were observing it." I looked at the disheveled pixie and noted he lost his newspaper poncho and was now wearing a red one. "Is your clan okay? That was one heck of a blow out. What did you think about it?"

He nodded solemnly. "I think, I grossly underestimated Niall's ability and powers. Also, I give my most sincere thanks to my new benefactor and friend to be here alive and well." He bowed before me. "The clan is unharmed, just frightened and shaken. If you have no further need of me, I will be off. We are in a new land and much has happened. My family needs me now."

I looked at his red poncho and realized it was leather. "Hey, wait a minute. As noble and humble as that speech was, there is still the matter of our cars and how you're going to pay for the damage."

He cocked his head. "Both machines now work, though the red mechanical carriage has suffered some _minor_ cosmetic damage."

Before I could chew him out, Eric stopped me by interjecting. "Please tell Tall Oak that the True People of the Trees and I can discuss those damages at another time. I believe we might be able to come to an understanding." Grinslade gave Eric a little nod which Eric reciprocated.

The fat pixie disappeared in a puff of air. I heard a disembodied voice say. "Suckie, we shall be here tomorrow at the sun's zenith for our pizza." I spoke in the direction of the voice. "Okay, but you're eating outside! You hear me?" I could hear a small high laughter fading away in the night air.

Eric started chuckling, and I grumbled to myself as I stroked Junior's furry head. I felt a mind tingle and looked down at him. "I agree, Junior; piss-ant pixies are a big-ass pain.

**The End**

**Epilogue**

Sookie was standing in her kitchen looking out the window at what promised to be a beautiful autumn day. A storm had moved through last night, and now the air was clean and fresh. She was sleeping much better these days and rarely dreamed about the Fae eating her flesh.

The resident pixies were expecting a baby to be born today. They were overjoyed, for the new arrival was the first baby to be born in their new homeland. The parents proudly announced to her that their new baby will be named Sookie. The baby was going to be a boy. To the pixies, the name Sookie meant loyalty and strength of character, both excellent traits for any pixie child to aspire to. Sookie was moved to tears by the gesture. The coffee maker beeper went off, and it shook her out of her reverie. She decided that today was indeed a special day, and it should be properly observed.

She reached into the back of her kitchen cabinet and pulled out a china canister that Eric had given her. Eric presented her with the gift only a few weeks after the Fae portal had closed. When she read the inscription, she was stunned. She thanked him and asked no further questions. The container was a beautiful antique porcelain piece of china. A gold medallion hanging around it read - 'Sweet-n-Low'. Carefully, she lifted the lid and scooped a small amount of the sweet dust out, sprinkled it into her coffee, and stirred the drink gently. She grabbed a library book and walked out to her front porch.

Junior, the formerly skinny adolescent cat, was growing into a large and handsome tom. He appeared to be snoozing on the porch swing when Sookie sat down beside him. He opened one eye and conveyed to her his contentment. He was happy to see her.

As she rocked and sipped her drink, memories of Thing One, Thing Two, Dermot and Claude crossed her mind. But the past no longer distressed her. As she breathed in that magical smell of burned cinnamon from her coffee, she smiled and felt satisfied. For she was a Brigant, and as with all Brigants, the sweet taste of vengeance in the morning is as good as it gets.

7


End file.
